PLUMAS COUNTY, Calif. — Two earthquakes with a preliminary magnitude of 4.3 and 4.5 struck near Belden, California.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quakes struck shortly after 6:30 p.m.
Dr. Angie Lux, project scientist for Earthquake Early Warning at the Berkeley Seismology Lab, said the earthquakes were a doublet, something not seen very often.
"I would say sometimes we see foreshocks and main shocks, main shocks and aftershocks, but to have two very similar effects of the same size in the same place in less than 30 seconds. That's not very common at all," said Lux.
According to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, there are no significant reports of damage or injuries from either earthquake. It was felt by people nearby in Susanville, Chico, Oroville, Sacramento, Vacaville, Stockton and Reno. A map of where the earthquake was likely felt can be found HERE.
Earthquakes are not incredibly common for the Plumas County area.
"There's no very large vaults that are up in that area, as far as I can tell. But we have had earthquakes that happened in the past, that is Lake Almanor that's right up there," said Lux, adding that the earthquakes appear to be happening on smaller faults.
A lot of damage isn't necessarily expected for an earthquake like this, according to Lux. But it could still be a scary experience for some people who feel it.
"I think this earthquake is another great reminder that we in California live in earthquake country. Always a great reminder to get prepared, download MyShake if you haven't, so you can get those earthquake early warnings," said Lux.
MyShake provides a ShakeAlert as part of the Earthquake Early Warning System. It's not a prediction, but it can tell you when an earthquake has happened and that shaking might be felt. For this earthquake in Plumas County, Lux said the alert went out to about 2,000 phones.
ALL ABOUT EARTHQUAKE PREP:
- What you need to know about ShakeAlert, the earthquake warning system | Earthquake Ready or Not
- What can happen to our power grids after an earthquake? | Earthquake Ready or Not
- Why a disaster kit will help you survive the next big one | Earthquake Ready or Not
- What you need to know about the San Andreas fault | Earthquake Ready or Not
- The science of forecasting earthquakes | Earthquake Ready or Not
- How vulnerable is California to tsunamis? | Earthquake Ready or Not
WATCH MORE: Earthquakes come without warning and if you aren’t prepared by the time the big one hits, you will be too late. The 2019 earthquake near Ridgecrest, California shined a spotlight on the need to be prepared with a disaster kit and a plan. A little work now could help you survive the next quake.