At around 10:44 a.m. this Thursday, December 5th, a 7.03 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Petrolia, California. It was followed by a tsunami warning and several small aftershocks. It has since been deemed to cause localized minimal damage around Humboldt County.
The epicenter is off the coast near Petrolia, in Humboldt County, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported, 45 miles south of Eureka.
Just before noon, the tsunami warning issued for coastal areas in California and Oregon, including San Francisco, was canceled. The warning stretched from Davenport, California to Lane Line, Oregon.
Arcata High immediately assessed and evacuated when it was safe to do so.
“Once everyone was in the clear we evacuated, the maintenance and administration went around checking to make sure everything was all clear,” Northern Humboldt Union School District (NHUSD) superintendent Roger Macdonald said, regarding the AHS campus immediately following the event.
“We are also a safe evacuation zone for the nearby elementary schools who are having to evacuate and come hang out here.”
Following the earthquake, freshman students Dylan Pelren and Christopher Villalobos were shocked and nervous about what would happen next following the shaking.
“I was scared,” Pelren said. “I didn’t know what was happening at first, it took me a minute to realize it was an earthquake.”
Villalobos and many other students echoed the statement.
The earthquake caused commotion across from the school, as reported by an anonymous source of an apparent “survivalist individual” who was fleeing to higher ground with his rifle and rifle case.
The Admin quickly responded and notified the Arcata Police Department. The situation was resolved peacefully and quickly as the individual agreed to leave and go further away from the school grounds.
Classes safely resumed after the all-clear announcement over the intercom. Aftershocks may follow, so stay safe. It’s recommended to stay away from beaches in the following days.
