4.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes San Francisco Bay Area

Early Monday, the San Francisco Bay Area experienced a 4.3 magnitude earthquake, waking many residents from their slumber.

Mayor Dan Lurie of San Francisco took to social media to address the situation, stating, “First Responders are assessing the impact on our city, so we’re offering today’s updates.” The city’s Emergency Management Bureau noted an increase in 911 calls from people who felt the tremors, but so far, there have been no reports of injuries.

The quake occurred at 2:56 AM, with its epicenter located in Berkeley, near Dwightway and Piedmont Avenue, just a block from the Berkeley campus.

This was the strongest earthquake to hit the Bay Area in three years, eclipsing a 5.1 magnitude quake that struck on October 25, 2022, near Mount Hamilton, east of San Jose.

Residents across Berkeley, Oakland, and parts of San Francisco reported feeling the shaking, as well as those in Albany, Alameda, San Leandro, Piedmont, Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, and Richmond.

The shaking, classified as “light” on the revised Mercalli strength scale, was enough to rattle windows, move parked cars, and cause heavy items to fall. Some windows were shattered in Berkeley, and listeners from KTVU-TV and KCBS reported food items crashing to the floor in Oakland Hills.

An aftershock, measuring 2.6 in magnitude, followed at 8:01 AM near Claremont and Ashby Avenue, close to the historic Claremont Club & Spa.

A US geological survey estimates a 4% chance of another 4.0 magnitude or greater earthquake in the Bay Area over the next week, with a less than 1% chance of significant aftershocks above magnitude 5.

The tremor was situated near the Hayward Fault, which extends 74 miles through the East Bay and lies beneath densely populated areas. The US Geological Survey predicts that a magnitude 7 rupture along this fault could result in over 800 fatalities and 18,000 injuries.