UPPER LAKE, Calif. – A powerful earthquake shook Lake County Tuesday night, and was followed a short time later by sizable aftershocks.
A preliminary report from the US Geological Survey said the quake, which occurred at 7:57 p.m., measured 5.1 on the Richter scale.
Its epicenter was located 11 miles north northeast of Upper Lake, 11 miles southeast of Lake Pillsbury, 26 miles north northwest of Clearlake and 24 miles east northeast of Ukiah, at a depth of 11 miles, the US Geological Survey reported.
Residents from around Lake County reported feeling the quake.
Some reported that it rolled for about 15 seconds. For others, it felt like a strong jolt, followed by a rolling motion and a second, stronger shake.
As of 8:45 p.m., the US Geological Survey reported receiving more than 700 shake reports from 62 zip codes, with those numbers continuing to climb.
Reports came in from all around Lake County, and from the neighboring counties of Mendocino, Glenn, Colusa and Sonoma. Other reports came from as far away as Chico, Morgan Hill, Vacaville, West Sacramento and San Francisco, with still more reports being submitted.
For those who want to file a shake report, go to http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc72672610#shakemap and click on “Felt Report” in the lefthand column.
The magnitude 5.1 quake is one of the largest to hit Lake County over the last decade, based on a review of earthquake records.
Some residents reported on Lake County News' Facebook page that it was the strongest quake they had felt in the county in decades, with furniture moving, houses creaking and pool water shaking.
One community member said it was the worst she had experienced in more than 40 years of living in Lake County.
That main quake was followed by a series of aftershocks that began about nine minutes later, including a 2.7-magnitude quake northeast of Upper Lake at 8:08 p.m. and a 3.0 quake north northeast of Upper Lake at 8:24 p.m., based on US Geological Survey records.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Strong earthquake hits Lake County; epicenter in Upper Lake
- Elizabeth Larson
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