5.5 magnitude earthquake, large aftershock hit Northern California

Earthquakes have rattled a large area of Northern California this week, but only minor damage was immediately reported.

A magnitude 5.5 quake centered in the Sierra Nevada’s Lake Almanor resort region struck at 4:19 p.m. Thursday and a magnitude 5.2 aftershock occurred at 3:18 a.m. Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

ABC10 reported local businesses were cleaning up minor damage in the area about 180 miles (290 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.

“A lot of broken glass, a lot of broken dishes, a lot of broken liquor from upstairs,” Stephanie Hughes, a local restaurant manager, told the station after the Thursday afternoon quake.

“Everything was shaking. Customers were fleeing onto the lawn,” said Hughes.

People reported feeling the earthquake all the way to Sacramento, about 160 miles (260 kilometers) south.

The magnitude 5.5 quake was the largest in California since the magnitude 7.1 Ridgecrest sequence in 2019, according to former USGS seismologist Lucy Jones, who now runs a center focusing on making communities more resilient to disasters.