San Francisco — A magnitude 4.3 earthquake shook the Bay Area early Monday morning, jolting thousands of residents out of sleep and briefly disrupting transit systems.
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| Earthquake San Francisco |
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake struck at 2:56 a.m. with an epicenter in Berkeley, near Dwight Way and Piedmont Avenue, just blocks from the University of California campus. Initially measured at 4.6, the quake was later revised to 4.3 in magnitude.
More than 21,000 people reported feeling the temblor within the first hour, with accounts spanning from as far south as Salinas to Santa Rosa in the north, and eastward to Stockton. By sunrise, USGS estimated that more than 24,000 people had felt the shaking.
The quake occurred just steps away from the Hayward Fault, one of the Bay Area’s most active and dangerous seismic zones. The fault line famously cuts directly through UC Berkeley’s Memorial Stadium. “UC Berkeley is the only major university in the world that has a dangerous earthquake fault running through its campus,” seismologist Horst Rademacher noted in a 2017 study of the fault line.
Despite the widespread shaking, there were no immediate reports of injuries or major structural damage. Still, the USGS warned that aftershocks remain a possibility. According to their forecast, there is a 24% chance of a magnitude 3.0 or greater aftershock within the next week, and a 3% chance of a quake as strong as 4.0 or higher.
Transit systems were affected in the hours following the quake. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) briefly delayed trains by about 20 minutes as officials conducted safety inspections across the network. Service later resumed with minor residual delays.
For longtime residents of the Bay Area, Monday morning’s jolt served as a stark reminder of the region’s seismic vulnerability. The Hayward Fault, stretching nearly 74 miles through the East Bay, has the potential to produce a devastating quake, with scientists warning that it is overdue for a major event.
While Monday’s quake was relatively moderate, experts emphasized the importance of earthquake preparedness. “Even a 4.3 quake is a wake-up call,” said a USGS spokesperson. “The Bay Area must remain ready for stronger earthquakes in the future.”
For now, life in the Bay Area quickly returned to normal, but the brief shake was another reminder that California’s seismic reality is never far beneath the surface.
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