A magnitude 5.1 earthquake shook Berkeley on Tuesday morning, according to preliminary information from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake’s epicenter is listed in Joseph D. Grant County Park near San Jose, which is about 50 miles southeast of Berkeley. The earthquake was reported at 11:42 a.m. with a depth of about 4.3 miles. (It was followed five minutes later by a 3.1 earthquake near the same location, which people did not report feeling in Berkeley.)
It was the largest earthquake to hit the Bay Area in eight years. There have been 42 quakes in the region at least 5.0 in magnitude in the last century, according to USGS.
BART held trains for five minutes after the initial quake and completed track inspections by 12:21 p.m., finding no damage.
Berkeleyside reporter Supriya Yelimeli was surprised to receive a shake alert on her phone and feel the mild shake around three seconds later. “That felt like the future,” she said. (You can sign up for the alert on the USGS website or by downloading the MyShake app.)
I got this alert a split second before I felt the quake I’m impressed with @MyShakeApp pic.twitter.com/kjLIF7qVYe
— Sarah Lefton (@sarahlefton) October 25, 2022
One reader described the quake on Twitter as “soft and gentle.” Others didn’t feel it at all and said the alert left them wondering when the world might start to move.
The glass doors on the credenza in my Berkeley flats home rattled for a few seconds. That’s about it.
— This Is Chris (@ThisIsMrChris) October 25, 2022
We felt it on Fourth St… but we feel it when a particularly loaded train goes past. 🚂🚉
— Alan Zucker 🇺🇦 🇺🇸 (@alanzucker) October 25, 2022
Ditto — shake alert but felt nothing. Weird — what to do? Are things just about to start shaking?
— Nancy Van House (@nancyvh) October 25, 2022
