A powerful earthquake struck rural Northern California on Wednesday morning, marking the region’s strongest quake since 1940. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 5.6-magnitude quake was centered about 12 kilometers northwest of Willits, with tremors felt as far as the coastal city of Fort Bragg. The quake occurred at 8:10 a.m. Pacific Time, about 8 kilometers underground and 80 kilometers east of Fort Bragg. Officials reported some injuries but no major damage immediately after the event.

Mendocino County spokesperson Heather Rose confirmed that hospitals reported several injuries, though details were not yet available. More than 6,000 residents across six nearby towns lost power, and authorities urged people to avoid highways to allow inspection and repair work. Seismologist Lucy Jones said it was the largest quake in the area in nearly nine decades and not located on a major fault line. She added that aftershocks were likely but expected to be minor.

California’s Office of Emergency Services said over 657,000 early warning alerts were sent via the MyShake app, with total alerts likely exceeding one million as other systems also issued warnings.