California & West Coast On High Alert After 7.6 Earthquake Hits Pacific

California & West Coast On High Alert After 7.6 Earthquake Hits PacificPhoto by(@jpgfactory/iStock)

Today, USGS has announced a multitude of catastrophic earthquakes that have struck in the Pacific Ocean, and pose a risk to the West Coast of the United States. The strongest was a magnitude 7.6. One of the weaker earthquakes today occurred in California, yet California is the first region in the United States on alert following today’s seismic activity.

After the volcanic eruption in Tonga in January of 2022, a tsunami caused the first coastal flood California had experienced since 1964. The flooding in 1964 was caused by the ‘Good Friday’ earthquake in Alaska, not to be confused with the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Haida Gwaii in 1949.

The following earthquakes have been documented by USGS, one of the only credible and globally-recognized seismic activity monitoring systems, and described below. Anyone living in California, Washington, or Oregon along the United States West Coast knows the most recent events are not to be taken lightly.

Magnitude 7.6 Earthquake struck 95 km West Northwest of Hihifo, Tonga: On 10 May 2023 at 4:02 PM UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck near Hihifo, Tonga at a depth of 210.1 km.

Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake struck 71 km West Northwest of Hihifo, Tonga: On 10 May 2023 at 4:32 PM UTC, a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck near Hihifo, Tonga at a depth of 193.8 km.

Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake struck the Solomon Islands: On 10 May 2023 at 5:01 PM UTC, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the Solomon Islands at a depth of 80.7 km.

Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake struck South of the Fiji Islands: On 10 May 2023 at 1:00 PM UTC, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck near the Fiji Islands at a depth of 416.1 km.

Magnitude 4.7 Earthquake struck 49 km Southwest of Campo Pesquero el Colorado, Mexico: On 10 May 2023 at 9:28 AM UTC, a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck near Campo Pesquero el Colorado, Mexico at a depth of 10 km.

Magnitude 4.6 Earthquake struck 30 km West Southwest of Topolobampo, Mexico: On 10 May 2023 at 8:55 AM UTC, a magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck near Topolobampo, Mexico at a depth of 10 km.

Magnitude 2.8 Earthquake struck 2km Northwest of Glen Avon, CA: On 10 May 2023 at 8:16 AM UTC, a magnitude 2.8 earthquake struck Glen Avon, California at a depth of 18.1 km.

As of now, there has been no tsunami warning issued following Tonga’s magnitude 7.6 earthquake.