In California's 'earthquake country,' a 7.0 temblor prompts confusion and a tsunami warning

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Valerie Starkey was driving through Northern California to visit relatives when she suddenly felt shaking and feared her car had broken down, only to realize later that it was an earthquake so powerful that it triggered a tsunami warning for hundreds of miles of the U.S. West Coast.

The epicenter of Thursday's 7.0 magnitude shaker occurred in what’s known as California’s “earthquake country” because it’s where three tectonic plates meet. The temblor was the most powerful to rattle the state since a 7.1-magnitude quake hit Ridgecrest in 2019.

Its intensity shocked Starkey and many of the 5.3 million other people along nearly 500 miles (805 kilometers) of the California and Oregon coasts who were under the tsunami warning for about an hour. It was lifted after no major waves arrived.

“I thought my axles had fallen apart,” said Starkey, a Del Norte County supervisor representing Crescent City, a town of fewer than 6,000 near the Oregon border. “That’s what I was feeling ... ‘My axles are broken now.’ I did not realize it was an earthquake.”

The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The shaking knocked items off grocery store shelves and sent children scrambling under desks at schools.

It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 kilometers) away, where residents described a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by multiple smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries from the quake.

The tsunami warning issued shortly after the quake struck spanned from the edge of California’s Monterey Bay north into Oregon.

“It was a strong quake. Our building shook. We’re fine, but I have a mess to clean up right now,” said Julie Kreitzer, owner of Golden Gait Mercantile, a store packed with food, wares and souvenirs that is a main attraction in Ferndale.

"I have to go. I have to try and salvage something for the holidays because it’s going to be a tough year,” Kreitzer said before hanging up.

The region — known for its redwood forests, scenic mountains and the three-county Emerald Triangle’s legendary marijuana crop — was struck by a magnitude 6.4 quake in 2022 that left thousands of people without power and water. The northwest corner of California is the most seismically active part of the state because it’s where three tectonic plates meet, seismologist Lucy Jones said on the social media platform BlueSky.

Shortly after the quake, phones in Northern California buzzed with the tsunami warning from the National Weather Service that said: “A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return.”

Numerous cities urged people to evacuate to higher ground as a precaution.

In Santa Cruz, authorities cleared the main beach, taping off entrances with police tape. Aerial footage showed cars bumper-to-bumper heading to higher ground on California highways 1 and 92 in the Half Moon Bay area south of San Francisco.

Cindy Vosburg, the executive director for the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce, said she heard alarms sound just before shaking began, and the city's cultural center downtown started to creak.

“Just as it would start to subside, the building would roll again," Vosburg said.

White House spokesperson Jeremy Edwards said President Joe Biden was briefed on the earthquake and that FEMA officials are in touch with their state and local counterparts in California and Oregon.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on a state of emergency declaration to quickly move state resources to impacted areas along the coast. State officials were concerned about damage in the northern part of the state, Newsom said.

Crews in Eureka, the biggest city in the region, were assessing if there was any damage. Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel, who works at a middle school, said lights were swaying and everyone got under desks.

“The kids were so great and terrified. It seemed to go back and forth for quite a long time,” she said. Some children asked, “Can I call my mom?"

The students were later sent home.

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said residents experienced cracks in their homes’ foundations, as well as broken glass and windows, but nothing severe.

Honsal said he was in his office in the 75-year-old courthouse in downtown Eureka when he felt the quake.

“We’re used to it. It is known as ‘earthquake country’ up here,” he said. “It wasn’t a sharp jolt. It was a slow roller, but significant.”

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, known as BART, stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland, and the San Francisco Zoo’s visitors were evacuated.

This quake was a strike-slip type of temblor that shifts more horizontally and is less prone to cause tsunamis, unlike the more vertical types, said National Weather Service tsunami program manager Corina Allen in Washington state.

Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Christopher Weber, Jaimie Ding and Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles; Martha Mendoza in Santa Cruz, California; Sophie Austin and Tran Nguyen in Sacramento, California; and Seth Borenstein in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

Humboldt County road maintenance workers Wayne Tomasini, left, and Monica Willburn prepare to fill cracks with dirt on a road damaged by a 7.0 earthquake in Humboldt County, Calif., Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Cracks on a road are seen after Thursday's 7.0 earthquake Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Humboldt County, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Humboldt County road maintenance supervisor Wayne Tomasini fills in cracks with dirt on a road damaged by a 7.0 earthquake in Humboldt County, Calif., Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

A crew with Humboldt County prepares to fill in cracks on the road caused by a 7.0 earthquake Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Humboldt County, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

A motorist drives along a road damaged by a 7.0 earthquake Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Humboldt County, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

California Geological Survey senior engineering geologist John Oswald, right, assesses damage to a road following a 7.0 earthquake Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Humboldt County, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

California Geological Survey engineering geologists John Oswald, right, and Spencer Watkins assess damage to a road following a 7.0 earthquake Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Humboldt County, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

FILE - A home damaged by an earthquake can be seen in Rio Dell, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

FILE - Kenny Ransbottom walks through debris inside his auto parts store after an earthquake in Rio Dell, Calif., on Dec. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)

FILE - In this July 7, 2019 file photo, a visitor takes a photo of a crack in the ground following earthquakes near Ridgecrest, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

FILE - Bottles of wine are strewn in the middle of an aisle as Victor Abdullatif, background center, mops inside of the Eastridge Market, his family's store, on July 6, 2019, in Ridgecrest, Calif., after an earthquake jolted the region from Sacramento to Las Vegas to Mexico. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

FILE - Ron Mikulaco, right, and his nephew, Brad Fernandez, examine a crack caused by an earthquake on Highway 178, on July 6, 2019, outside of Ridgecrest, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

PG&E troubleman Justin Biondini responds to a service call at a home following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Rio Dell, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

PG&E troubleman Justin Biondini responds to a service call at a home following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Rio Dell, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Smoking paraphernalia is strewn on the ground in the aftermath of a 7.0 earthquake inside E&J Liquors, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Rio Dell, Calif. (Savana Robinson via AP)

A firefighter patrols Ocean Beach in San Francisco during a tsunami warning on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Emily Steinberger)

The Fire Department patrols at Ocean Beach in San Francisco while people watch the waves on higher ground during a tsunami warning on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Emily Steinberger)

People walk along the sand at Ocean Beach in San Francisco during a tsunami warning on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Emily Steinberger)

Students walk in line as they are evacuated from Laurel Tree Charter School to Arcata High School after an earthquake Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Arcata, Calif. (Sage Alexander/The Times-Standard via AP)

A San Francisco Surf Rescue team evacuates surfers from Ocean Beach in case of a possible tsunami on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. San Francisco residents were notified of a chance of a tsunami following a reported earthquake in Northern California. (Benjamin Fanjoy/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

People sit on a bench along the beach in Santa Cruz, Calif. after authorities cleared the main beach, taping off entrances on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Martha Mendoza)

People watch the waves come in after an earthquake was felt widely across Northern California at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)

Drinks and other food items are toppled on the floor inside Hoby's Market and Deli after an earthquake Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Scotia, Calif. (Dylan McNeill/The Times-Standard via AP)

A person and their dog wander along Ocean Beach in San Francisco during a tsunami warning on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Emily Steinberger)

Hasan Raza cleans up in the aftermath of a 7.0 earthquake inside E&J Liquors, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Rio Dell, Calif. (Savana Robinson via AP)

Drinks and other food items are toppled on the floor inside Hoby's Market and Deli after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Scotia, Calif. (Dylan McNeill/The Times-Standard via AP)

Broken bottles are scattered on the floor inside E&J Liquors after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Rio Dell, Calif. (Savana Robinson via AP )

Atlanta (8-7) at Washington (10-5)

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC

BetMGM NFL odds: Commanders by 4

Against the spread: Falcons 7-8; Commanders 9-6

Series record: Washington leads 18-10-1

Last meeting: Commanders beat Falcons 24-16 on Oct. 15, 2023, at Atlanta.

Last week: Falcons beat Giants 34-7; Commanders beat Eagles 36-33.

Falcons: overall (9), rush (12), pass (6), scoring (19)

Falcons defense: overall (13), rush (12), pass (21), scoring (19)

Commanders offense: overall (5), rush (3), pass (16), scoring (4)

Commanders defense: overall (10), rush (29), pass (4), scoring (18)

Turnover differential: Falcons minus-5; Commanders plus-2

Rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. made his first NFL start in easy mode at home against the Giants. The difficulty level rachets up at Washington, and the Commanders have a legitimate pass rush led by Dante Fowler Jr. Penix can rely on Bijan Robinson again, but may need to make some harder throws to get the job done this time.

RB Brian Robinson Jr. fumbled twice against Philadelphia and has just one touchdown over the past four games. Daniels put the Commanders on his back last weekend working out of empty formations often, but Kliff Kingsbury's offense is predicated on running the ball to set up the pass and Austin Ekeler remains on injured reserve because of a concussion, so it's Robinson's show on the ground.

Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels vs. the Falcons' pass defense. Atlanta returned two interceptions for a touchdown and forced Drew Lock to fumble last week. Daniels is coming off throwing five TD passes to rally Washington and end Philadelphia's winning streak at 10 games. Prime time has not fazed Daniels so far, and it's worth wondering what his next trick will be.

Falcons: CB Antonio Hamilton left the Giants game with a quadriceps injury. ... CB Kevin King has a concussion.

Commanders: CB Marshon Lattimore, who missed more than a month with a hamstring injury, is again dealing with a hamstring injury. ... RT Andrew Wylie (groin) and WR Dyami Brown (hamstring) left the Eagles game in the fourth quarter. ... DT Jonathan Allen could return more than two months after surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, which was originally thought to be season-ending.

Washington has won the past three meetings. These teams are playing for a fourth consecutive season. ... This is the first prime-time game in NFL history between two rookie QBs selected in the first round. Daniels was the No. 2 pick and Penix No. 8. ... The Falcons benched former Washington QB Kirk Cousins, a 2012 fourth-rounder, before Week 16 in favor of Penix. ... The Commanders can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a loss by Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers host Carolina on Sunday afternoon. ... Washington is 10-5 for the first time since 1991. The organization last won 11 games in 1987. Each of those seasons ended with a Super Bowl championship. ... Commanders coach Dan Quinn led Atlanta to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season. He is facing the Falcons for the first time since they fired him in 2020. Falcons coach Raheem Morris worked on Quinn's staff from 2015-20 and was the interim replacement four years ago. Morris also was an assistant with Washington from 2012-14 and interviewed for the job Quinn now has before getting hired by Atlanta.

Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards last week. ... Robinson ran for 94 yards and two TDs against the Giants. Adding his two catches for 9 yards, it was his fourth consecutive game with 100 or more yards from scrimmage. ... WR Drake London is 22 yards receiving from his first 1,000-yard season. Darnell Mooney is 45 away from reaching that mark for the second time. ... LB Matthew Judon and S Jessie Bates had the pick-6s off Lock. Judon's interception was the first of his career. Bates had an INT in his previous game at Washington, Nov. 22, 2020, when playing for Cincinnati. ... LB Kaden Elliss has a career-high 131 tackles. Only seven players in the league have more. ... The Commanders beat the Eagles despite turning the ball over five times. ... Daniels has been selected rookie of the week 10 times. His five TD throws against Philadelphia, including his second to Jamison Crowder with 6 seconds left, made up for his two picks. ... WR Terry McLaurin has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for a fifth season in a row. He had 919 in 14 games as a rookie in 2019 and missed two because of injury. ... Crowder and WR Olamide Zaccheaus each had two TD catches last week. .... Zach Ertz is 28 yards receiving away from becoming the ninth tight end to 8,000. ... LB Frankie Luvu intercepted Kenny Pickett last week. ... LB Bobby Wagner leads Washington with 118 tackles.

If you need any Commanders receiver to help you win your league other than McLaurin, good luck. Especially since Noah Brown went down, it's anyone's guess who Daniels will target beyond “Scary Terry,” who is justifiably terrifying to opponents.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels speaks to members of the media after an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throwing the ball before the start of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) throws the ball in the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants in Atlanta, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)