USGS: 6.5 magnitude quake in ocean off California coast

SAN FRANCISCO – A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California on Thursday, jolting residents of the coastal town of Ferndale but bringing no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake hit at 6:50 a.m. in the Pacific Ocean about 100 miles west of Ferndale, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement there was no threat of a tsunami.

Bonnie Brower, owner of the Ferndale Pie Company, says she was grabbing something from the fridge in the restaurant’s kitchen when the quake happened. She did not see any damage, but felt a “big jolt.”

“I just felt this very huge jerk and I didn’t know what it was,” she said.

Afterward, she said it felt like the ground was rolling, “like you were on a boat.”

Dennis Gorton, who owns the Francis Creek Inn in Ferndale, said there was no damage and none of the guests panicked.

“It was just kind of a roller,” he said. “Nothing was thrown off the shelves or anything like that.”

In January 2010, a 6.5 magnitude quake in the Pacific caused about $34 million in property losses in and around the nearby city of Eureka, including partial damage to at least nine buildings.

The area experienced a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in 1992 that left 95 people injured and caused millions of dollars in damage, according to the USGS. That earthquake was felt as far south as San Francisco.

It was followed by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake about 12 hours later and a magnitude-6.7 earthquake a few hours after that, both of which caused additional damage.