SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – A 5.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Bay Area just before noon Tuesday.
While it was the region’s largest quake in eight years — since a 6.0-magnitude shaker hit Napa in 2014 — multiple agencies throughout the Bay Area reported that there was no reported damage or even emergency calls.
The quake hit the Calaveras Fault, which produced the 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Morgan Hill in 1984. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake were on the San Andreas Fault.
The epicenter of this quake, which struck at 11:42 a.m., was south of Mt. Hamilton, in the hills east of San Jose, in Seven Trees, a census-designated place annexed by San Jose in 2009.
A 3.1-magnitude aftershock struck 1 kilometer east at 11:47 a.m.
The San Jose Fire Department, following its earthquake policy, is “checking on personnel, surveying their immediate response area [and] inspecting stations and apparatus to ensure they’re ready to respond to any emergencies.”
Mineta San Jose International Airport reported that the entire airport campus has been inspected and “operations are not impacted in any way. Stay safe and have a great rest of your day!”
The San Jose Police Department tweeted that there have been no reports of damage or injury thus far.
“We will update you if that changes,” the tweet continued.
The office of Gov. Gavin Newsom is providing assistance.
“Cal OES [Office of Emergency Services] is actively coordinating with local authorities in the region to evaluate any preliminary damage or issues created as a result of this earthquake and provide any assistance that is needed from the state level,” a tweet states.
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Public transit resumes across region
Public transit agencies, such as Bay Area Rapid Transit, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and the agency that runs the ferries, announced changes of plans due to the quake.
For example, The San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority stated that ferry departures will be delayed for 10 minutes as terminals are inspected post-earthquake.
BART trains were initially put on hold for five minutes. They are not operating at a reduced speed.
“We currently have 57 trains in service,” BART stated in a tweet. “Following an earthquake, all trains except those in the Transbay Tube hold for 5 minutes. This is to make sure it isn’t followed by an even larger quake. Once trains are released, operators do a visual inspection of tracks at reduced speed.”
Caltrain and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority are operating at reduced speeds. Santa Clara VTA stopped until a post-earthquake inspection was completed.
No tsunami warning
The National Weather Service announced that a tsunami was not expected as a result of the earthquake.
The San Francisco Fire Department stated via tweet that no damage was reported in San Francisco due to the earthquake. The city was famously destroyed by an earthquake and fire in 1906.
“Take this moment to review your go bag and disaster plan,” the tweet continued.
Aftershocks
Aftershocks continued to rock the region in the aftermath of the quake. A 3.6 preliminary magnitude aftershock hit in the Seven Trees area shortly after 3 p.m., according to the USGS.
