Milton Quintanilla

Prayers for California as Communities Evacuate and Recover after 7.0 Magnitude Earthquake

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Humboldt County, California, shaking areas from San Francisco to southern Oregon and prompting a...
Updated Dec 05, 2024
Prayers for California as Communities Evacuate and Recover after 7.0 Magnitude Earthquake

A tsunami warning was canceled Thursday morning following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in northern California. The earthquake occurred at around 10:44 a.m. (PST), about 30 miles off Humboldt County in the Eureka area. It struck large parts of the region, including San Francisco, Monterey, Sacramento, Reno, and southern Oregon. Shortly after, a tsunami warning was issued, prompting residents in Northern California to evacuate to higher ground. 

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, BART, the commuter rail system for the San Francisco Bay Area, suspended service through the underwater Transbay Tube connecting San Francisco and Oakland in light of the tsunami warning. Guests were also ordered to evacuate the San Francisco Zoo since it was off the coast. 

“Guests have been evacuated, animals secured, and staff have moved to higher ground,” the zoo posted on social media.

Schools also had early dismissal following the evacuation while beaches were cleared.

Over in the historic town of Ferndale, Olivia Cobian, the innkeeper at the Gingerbread Mansion, said her 1895 building “looked like a war zone.”

“I have fireplaces flying forward,” she said. “Clawfoot tubs that have been lifted off [their mounts] and scooched over. This is crazy.”

At the time, she had just finished giving a tour of the inn to a third-grade class from a local elementary school.

“They had just walked” back to school, she said, adding, “Thank God.”

The warning was lifted around noon before the expected wave was supposed to strike, the New Post reports.

The tremor comes as there have been reports of earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.

In 2022, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near Eureka, killing at least two people and injuring 11. 

WATCH: Tsunami Warning Lifted after Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Rocks Northern California

Prayer for California Earthquake Victims

Heavenly Father, 

We pray over the state of California as well as additional areas along the West Coast affected by today’s earthquake. We thank You that the tsunami warning issued earlier that morning has since been called off and we ask for peace for everyone affected moving forward. 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Photo Credit: ©YouTube/San Francisco Chronicle


Milton QuintanillaMilton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.

Originally published December 05, 2024.

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