Quake Shakes Peninsula

Did you feel it?

A 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck at 2:57pm on the peninsula, just west of the San Andreas fault, about 2.5 miles southeast from Pacifica, according to the Unites States Geological Survey.  USGS first said the quake was 3.8, but downgraded it a 3.4 followed by another upgrade just before 6PM.

The quake was 8.5 miles deep, which is typical according to the USGS. Seven thousand people are reportedly without power, as of 4:12 pm Monday. Power was back by 5 p.m.

The first shaker was followed by at least three aftershocks. They were 2.4 and 1.5 in the same general area, according to USGS. Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri continues to track aftershocks & a closer look at the epicenter.

BART trains were stopped to inspect tracks for a time as a matter of protocal. Pacifica police said there were scattered power outages, but there were no reports of damage.

Today, April 18, is the 105th anniversary of The Great San Francisco Earthquake, so for many the fear of the ground moving was already top of mind.

Within a minute of the quake hitting people started calling the newsroom. A man in the Twin Peaks said he felt two short jolts.  Reporter Bob Redell said his wife, who works in Redwood City, felt the quake and guess even before she heard the magnitude at 4.0.

Traffic reporter Mike Inouye also said his family felt the shaking in the Fremont area. 

A library manager of the Pacifica Sharp Park Library said he felt it.   

"There was a sharp jolt that was preceded by a rumbling noise.  That was it," Thom Ball told Bay City News.   "No books fell off the shelves. No lights went off. We all just  felt it," he said.   

Everyone seemed calm afterward, Ball said.

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