A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California on Thursday, prompting tsunami warnings for parts of the Northern California and Oregon coastlines. “The earthquake hit at 10:44 a.m. PT about 60 miles southwest of Ferndale, California, the US Geological Survey said,” CNN stated. Some reports listed the earthquake at a 7.3 magnitude. “A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck off the coast of California, triggering tsunami sirens and prompting a tsunami warning for the western coastline, including the San Francisco Bay Area. The National Tsunami Warning Center has confirmed the earthquake’s magnitude and issued a warning about the potential for powerful waves and strong currents,” Rawsalerts wrote. “Residents in coastal areas are strongly advised to evacuate immediately, move to higher ground or inland, and avoid coastal waters until authorities confirm it is safe to return,” the post added. WATCH: #BREAKING: Tsunami sirens and warnings are going off issued for the western coastline after a powerful 7.3 earthquake struck #California | #Oregon A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck off the coast of California, triggering tsunami sirens and prompting a tsunami… pic.twitter.com/afjDpcsbBZ — R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) December 5, 2024 “Mass evacuations are underway in Northern California as Tsunami Warnings remain in effect,” Nick Sortor noted. #BREAKING: Mass evacuations are underway in Northern California as Tsunami Warnings remain in effect https://t.co/hCS5esfZ5M pic.twitter.com/vivov3bwIw — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 5, 2024 Per CNN: Tsunami activity could impact the California cities of San Fransisco, Crescent City and Fort Bragg, and the Oregon cities of Port Orford, Brookings and Charleston, according to the National Weather Service. “Tsunami warnings mean that a tsunami with significant inundation is possible or is already occurring. Tsunamis are a series of waves dangerous many hours after initial arrival time. The first wave may not be the largest,” the National Weather Service said. TSUNAMI WARNINGS in effect for the San Francisco Bay Area after a 7.0 (preliminary) earthquake shook the Northern California Coast. pic.twitter.com/q6MtaSuCVU — WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) December 5, 2024 Tsunami Warning 1 for areas of OR & N. CA: See https://t.co/npoUHxX900 for alert areas. M7.3 045mi SW Eureka, California 1044PST Dec 5 pic.twitter.com/NFCbU5EaKa — NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) December 5, 2024 From the Los Angeles Times: The earthquake occurred at 10:44 a.m. with an epicenter under the Pacific Ocean, about 70 miles southwest of Eureka and 110 miles northwest of Mendocino. Shaking on land was quite strong in the Eureka area, said Elizabeth Cochran, seismologist with U.S. Geological Survey said. The earthquake was widely felt across California’s North Coast. State Sen. Mike McGuire said in a social media post that there was a mandatory evacuation order in Crescent City due to the tsunami threat. “All residents should head to higher ground immediately,” McGuire wrote. The tsunami warning extends from Oregon to just north of Santa Cruz. “Tsunami warnings mean that a tsunami with significant inundation is expected or occurring. Warnings indicate that widespread dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents are possible and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival,” officials said in a bulletin. A second smaller 5.8 magnitude quake also hit around Cobb, Calif. There were no immediate reports of damage. This story is developing.