An earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck the northern coast of California in the United States, triggering a tsunami warning across a large area of the west coast.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 10:44 am local time, located 62 miles (99 kilometers) southwest of Ferndale. Currently, Eureka, over 250 miles north of San Francisco, has issued a tsunami warning.
Office workers in waterfront areas such as Embarcadero in San Francisco are being evacuated from office buildings to higher ground.
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake is larger than the one that hit San Francisco on October 17, 1989. The 6.9 magnitude earthquake that year caused power outages and resulted in the death of 63 people in the region.
Emergency management officials in British Columbia, Canada, stated that after earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher near California, they are monitoring any potential tsunami threats.
“Officials are evaluating data to determine if there are any threats to British Columbia,” the British Columbia Emergency Information Agency said in a social media post shortly after 11 a.m. local time.
“We will share updates as soon as they become available,” the agency stated.