Dozens report feeling 6.0 magnitude earthquake that struck off southern Oregon coast

A sign warning drivers that they are entering a tsunami... — A sign warning drivers that they are entering a tsunami hazard zone is displayed along U.S. Route 101 also known as the Oregon Coast Highway north of Lincoln City, Ore., June 14, 2024. Credit: AP/Jenny Kane

By The Associated PressUpdated October 30, 2024

BANDON, Ore. — Dozens of people reported feeling an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 that struck off the southern coast of Oregon on Wednesday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

No tsunami was expected. More than 75 people reported feeling light shaking from the temblor, which had an epicenter about 170 miles (270 kilometers) from the small city of Bandon, Oregon. It had a preliminary depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). No damage was reported.

Washington state emergency management officials posted on social media that while it can be scary to see a 6.0 magnitude quake happening near the Cascadia Subduction Zone, the one Wednesday was in the Blanco Fracture Zone, where quakes are quite common.

The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a 600-mile-long (965-kilometer) fault just off the coast that runs from Northern California to British Columbia. Tectonic stresses have been accumulating in the zone for more than 300 years, and seismologists say it could rupture at any time, causing a megaquake and tsunami.

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