Tsunami warning in Northern California warrants evacuations

On Thursday, Dec. 5, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Northern California Coast, causing a tsunami warning for the first time since Jan. 2022. The earthquake was felt all the way from Oregon to the San Joaquin Valley, while the effects were even worse for locals in the small town of Ferndale, which is 62 miles away from where the earthquake hit. As food fell off of grocery store shelves, evacuations in the West Berkeley area ensued.

National Tsunami Warning Center / Contributor

The Dec. 5 earthquakes were followed by a series of 10 earthquakes on Dec. 15 of magnitude 5.6.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the aftershock for future earthquakes is forecasted to remain elevated over the next year or more. Aftershocks are also predicted to continue for a few days after the initial quake, with 78 aftershocks with a magnitude of three or higher documented so far. 

As coastal residents, Samo students and their families can stay prepared for the threat of a tsunami by creating an emergency plan by mapping out safety routes and constructing a safety kit, as there is no definite way to predict them.