Earthquakes have rattled a large area of northern California this week, including a strong aftershock shake early on Friday. Only minor damage was immediately reported.
A magnitude 5.5 quake centered in the Sierra Nevada’s Lake Almanor resort region struck at 4.19pm on Thursday and a magnitude 5.2 aftershock occurred at 3.18am on Friday, according to the US Geological Survey.
ABC10 reported local businesses were cleaning up minor damage in the area about 180 miles north-east 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 on to the lawn,” said Hughes.
People reported feeling the earthquake all the way to Sacramento, about 160 miles 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.