5.5-magnitude earthquake strikes off Northern California coastline
Though no tsunami threat was attached to the strike, the quake was the third to impact Humboldt County over the past six months.
A preliminary magnitude 5.5 earthquake occurred off the Northern California coast on Sunday.
The third notable earthquake of the past six months hit Northern California Sunday, May 21.
Around 11:44 a.m., local time, an earthquake with a preliminary 5.5 rating occurred 108 kilometers (67 miles) west of Petrolia, California, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS noted that no tsunami threat was evident after the earthquake, which had a depth of 10 kilometers.
The earthquake occurred off the coast of Humboldt County, an area that was significantly damaged by a 6.4 magnitude quake in December 2022. December's quake was centered 7.5 miles off the coast of Ferndale, resulting in two deaths and at least 11 injuries. Over 71,000 power customers in the county were cut off due to the initial quake.
Another earthquake occurred in Humboldt County in January, a magnitude 5.4 quake that struck near the city of Rio Dell.
Both ends of the California coastline have felt earthquakes this year, as a magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 10 miles south of Malibu Beach in January, sending aftershocks throughout the Southern California area.
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