NATIONAL NEWS – 7.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami warnings in California

Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer

On Thursday, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Northern California and Oregon, prompting tsunami alerts for coastal areas. Although the tsunami warnings were later canceled, evacuation orders were issued for Berkeley and surrounding areas.

More than 30 aftershocks have been reported, and over 10,000 people remain without power in Humboldt County. So far, there have been no reported casualties, and medical reports are pending. However, the disaster allowed California to test its new alert system for emergencies of this nature. Early results indicate the system was highly effective, successfully alerting over half a million people.