4.7 Magnitude San Andreas Fault Earthquake Rocks Central California
HOLLISTER (CBS SF) -- A 4.7 magnitude earthquake rattled Central California Tuesday afternoon along the San Andreas fault line, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake struck at 12:42 p.m. about four miles south of Hollister near Tres Pinos in San Benito County and was felt as far north as San Jose. The quake was widely felt in Morgan Hill, Santa Cruz, the Monterey-Carmel area, Salinas, King City and Gilroy.
The initial quake was followed by a 2.6 magnitude aftershock at 12:55 p.m. The original magnitude was pegged at 4.8 until the USGS revised the reading shortly after.
The quake struck two days before the 30th annivesary of the deadly and devastating 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake which hit along the same fault line. The '89 quake - which struck during Game 3 of the World Series between the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants - claimed 63 lives, injured nearly 4,000 and caused widespread damage.
"It was on the San Andres Fault just south of San Juan Bautista," said Ann Marie Baltay of the USGS. "It's a pretty typical event for the fault. It was very moderate ground motion."
The San Benito County building has been evacuated as a precaution. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
Baltay said she did not believe the 4.7 quake was a foreshock of a larger temblor.
"The San Andreas Fault was a major player in the 1989 6.9 quake … and also the 1906 event (San Francisco Great Quake)," she said. "The San Andreas is capable of a much larger event. This particular region we don't think is any more likely to participate in a really large event. We don't think this was a foreshock. "
"But there is always a chance there might be a larger event coming."
KPIX 5 reporter Len Ramirez was in Santa Cruz when the quake struck.
"So I was sitting in a SUV shaking. I looked around. I thought it might be an earthquake," he said. "There was no reaction from anyone on the sidewalk. Pacific Ave. is a very busy sidewalk. People just went about their business…It went on for about 30-50 seconds."
But Stacy Pinkham said in her Santa Cruz neighborhood, the quake delivered quite a jolt. Santa Cruz also suffered heavy damage in the 1989 quake.
"It was a good shaker over in Santa Cruz!," she posted to KION CBS 5 Facebook page.
Angie Ciolino agreed.
"Felt it good in Santa Cruz," she posted.
Monterey's Edward Ciliberti recalled the 1989 quake.
"I felt the 1987 big quake in SF down in Monterey and today's felt much stronger," he posted. "Perhaps because the epicenter in today's quake was in the Pinnacles, much much closer to us."
Greenfield's Jessica Torres Vazquez commented on the rumbling sound that can precede a quake.
"What was the loud noise with the earthquake it sounded like a plane taking off so close it was weird," she posted.
