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4.2 magnitude earthquake hits California, Internet says 'it's a weekly event'

An earthquake was felt in the tri-valley area with the epicenter reportedly near Castro valley, and people jumped on to Twitter to share their horror

An earthquake reportedly struck the state of California at 6.29pm local time, with a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter scale. The quake was reported by several users on Twitter who took to the social media platform to ask if anyone else had felt it on June 28. So far, there have been no reports of major damage to structures or injuries. 

The region is no stranger to earthquakes. In September 2020, a 4.6 earthquake was recorded near El Monte. Around that time, New Jersey also saw an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.1. In May 2020, a 6.5 magnitude quake was recorded in Western Nevada, the largest in 66 years in the state. That quake left lasting damage to the Las Vegas-Reno highway.

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The United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed that a quake hit the area 3 km north of San Lorenzo. The intensity has now officially been brought down to 4 by the USGS. According to the maps on the USGS website, the quake was felt in Fremont, San Francisco and as far as Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz. As of now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said that there is no tsunami threat. 

The quake reportedly took place along the Hayward Fault, a 74-mile long zone that runs parallel to the San Andreas Fault. Under the Richter scale, the magnitude of the earthquake is not severe enough to cause major damage. It may leave some structural damage around the epicenter, but other areas are likely to be unaffected. That certainly seems to be the case, judging by Twitter. The effects lasted for about five seconds, according to some users. 

Many journalists took to Twitter to note the earthquake, such as KUTV political reporter Greg Lee, who tweeted, "Earthquake! In studio for my live shot, felt the roll, lights moving above us. Did you feel it?" San Francisco-based Dion Lim tweeted, "ACK...the studio just SHOOK! Was that an earthquake!? Did anyone else feel it? #earthquake."

One user reported a burst pipe in Oakland, tweeting, "Looks like maybe a pipe burst at Telegraph and Thomas L Berkeley in @Oakland after that #earthquake." Another person said, "#earthquake felt fairly strong here in Castro Valley, CA. 4.2? It shook the house hard for a couple seconds, then a few small aftershocks. Little freaky but all is fine. Whew! Everyone else okay? I hope so! #BayArea." One said, "california having earthquakes so often that im used to it it’s a weekly event over here."

One person joked, "Literally thought my upstairs neighbors were being obnoxious, but it turns out there was an #earthquake hate it here." Another tweeted, "I've gotten so used to wildfires being our worst natural disaster threat I almost forgot about the earthquakes #earthquake."

So far, the USGS has not issued any more warnings or alerts for aftershocks. It seems like this is a one-off incident. Nonetheless, it would be wise to take precautions until the USGS provides further update.