5.7 Earthquake Rattles Northern California Coast

A magnitude-5.7 earthquake just off the Humboldt County coast rattled parts of far Northern California early Wednesday afternoon.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports the quake shook at 1:08 p.m. PST Wednesday about 40 miles southwest of Eureka. That shake was followed by at least three aftershocks.

Lt. Wayne Hanson of the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office told the Associated Press that no damage or injuries had been immediately reported.

People reported feeling it as far away as Chico, nearly 200 miles to the east. Many took to Twitter to report the shaking.

Wednesday's earthquake was centered near the Mendocino Triple Junction, where the Gorda, Pacific and North American tectonic plates meet just north of the point where the San Andreas Fault ends.

The area has produced several large earthquakes in the last 35 years:

• In April 1992, a 7.2-magnitude quake, followed by 6.5 and 6.7 shocks, violently shook the coast 30 miles southwest of Eureka, causing more than 100 injuries and severe damage in several towns, including Ferndale and Petrolia.
• In November 1980, a 7.2-magnitude quake centered just off the coast caused widespread damage around Eureka, including the partial collapse of a freeway overpass south of Eureka.
• A 6.8 temblor last March caused no damage.

This post includes reporting from the Associated Press.