4.5 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Pleasant Hill; Felt Around Bay Area
PLEASANT HILL (CBS SF) -- A pair of earthquakes, measuring 2.5 and 4.5 magnitude respectively, struck just south of Pleasant Hill on Monday evening, rocking the East Bay, authorities said.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 2.5 quake struck at 10:23 p.m. about a mile south of Pleasant Hill, near I-680, and was followed nearly 10 minutes later by the 4.5 temblor.
USGS said they recorded 30,000 responses to their "Did You Feel It?" page at 11 p.m., even from users as far as Reno and Fresno, according to Amy Vaughan of USGS.
Vaughan said it wasn't unusual for the quake to cause tremors that were felt wide and far away from the Bay Area. "Still a little surprising, but not entirely," she said.
The quakes were felt throughout the Bay Area. There were no immediate reports of injury or damage, according to PG&E and Contra Costa Fire.
KPIX 5 meteorologist Darren Peck said the quakes were not on the San Andreas fault nor the Hayward fault. "The epicenter of this earthquake is too far inland to have been on either of the two big ones," Peck said.
KPIX 5 reporter Betty Yu said her news van was shaking as she was finishing up her report in Lafayette.
BART said it was slowing trains system wide to inspect lines for damage.
The Auto Zone on Pacheco Boulevard in Pleasant Hill was rattled, with products being sent off the shelves and scattered on the floor.
KPIX reporter Juliette Goodrich said she felt the quake for five to seven seconds. "It was not a swaying motion, it was definitely a jolt and a frantic shaking motion," she said. "It almost felt like someone was on the outside shaking our house."
Just days before the 30th anniversary of the deadly and destructive 1989 Loma Prieta quake, local residents said Monday night's shake reminded them of that temblor.
Bay Area residents took to KPIX 5's Facebook page to say how the quake felt at their homes.
Wendy Kress said her home was rocked in Walnut Creek.
"I'm in Walnut Creek, and it shook violently for about ten seconds," she posted. "The biggest I've felt since the Loma Prieta quake in 1989, when I lived in San Francisco."
Also in Walnut Creek, Leonard Ross said, "Pretty scary here. Hard rolling quake for 10 seconds. Thought the roof was going to come down."
In Benicia, Ron McConlogue likened the shaking to the 2014 South Napa Earthquake.
"Rocked Benicia for quite awhile," he posted. "It was deep and hard, similar to the Napa quake."
Stephanie McKim Gracy said the huge quake shook her Martinez home. "Our three dogs scared to death!! We are checking for cracks in the stucco and foundation. *fingers crossed*"
Emanual Vergis said the rocking sent his cats scurrying in San Francisco.
"Felt it in my condo on Cathedral hill," he posted. "Brief swaying. Cats scattered."
Victoria Staley Matthews said the art on the walls of her Antioch home began swaying back and forth.
"Shook us pretty good," she posted. "Woke the animals and the art on the all swung for a good 30 seconds or so. I too live through Loma Prieta."
Vallejo's Hugh Drake likened the temblor to a sonic boom.
"Felt it in Vallejo," he posted. "A BOOM, like a strong sonic boom, (from below), and two seconds later a slow back and forth rolling, for a few seconds."
Janet McIntosh in Walnut Creek said, "Thought a truck was coming in my window."
