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Earthquake and strong aftershock strike northern California

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake shook Plumas County in the Sierra Nevada

Graeme Massie
Los Angeles
Friday 12 May 2023 20:19 BST
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5.5 magnitude earthquake hits northern California

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A 5.5 magnitude earthquake shook an area of northern California and was followed by a strong aftershock.

The US Geological Survey says the first earthquake in Plumas County in the Sierra Nevada mountains took place at around 4.19pm on Thursday. It was followed up by a 5.2 aftershock at around 3.18am on Friday morning.

Businesses in the area, which is around 180 miles northeast of San Francisco, were left to clean up minor damage following the quakes.

This photo provided by Plumas Pines Resort and Bar shows a portion of the damage done to Plumas Pines Resort & Bar in Almanor, Calif., following a 5.5 earthquake in Lake Almanor at around 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Plumas Pines Resort and Bar via AP)
This photo provided by Plumas Pines Resort and Bar shows a portion of the damage done to Plumas Pines Resort & Bar in Almanor, Calif., following a 5.5 earthquake in Lake Almanor at around 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Plumas Pines Resort and Bar via AP) (AP)

“A lot of broken glass, a lot of broken dishes, a lot of broken liquor from upstairs,” Stephanie Hughes, a local restaurant manager, told ABC10 on Thursday.

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

The shaking was felt as far as Sacramento, which is 160 miles to the south. There have been no reports of any injuries.

This photo provided by Plumas Pines Resort and Bar shows a portion of the damage done to Plumas Pines Resort & Bar in Almanor, Calif., following a 5.5 earthquake in Lake Almanor at around 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Plumas Pines Resort and Bar via AP)
This photo provided by Plumas Pines Resort and Bar shows a portion of the damage done to Plumas Pines Resort & Bar in Almanor, Calif., following a 5.5 earthquake in Lake Almanor at around 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Plumas Pines Resort and Bar via AP) (AP)

The 5.5 quake is the strongest recorded in California since the 7.1 magnitude 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake, former USGS seismologist Dr Lucy Jones tweeted.

She stated that the area also was hit by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in 2013 and a 5.5 magnitude one in 1950.

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