Strong 4.3 Quake Shakes San Francisco Bay Area: Berkeley Earthquake Sends Tremors Across Oakland, Alameda, and Beyond
A powerful earthquake san francisco residents won’t soon forget jolted the Bay Area early Monday morning, with its epicenter near Berkeley. The 4.3 magnitude quake rattled homes, disrupted transit, and raised new concerns about seismic risks along the Hayward Fault, one of California’s most closely watched fault lines.

A powerful earthquake san francisco residents won’t soon forget jolted the Bay Area early Monday morning, with its epicenter near Berkeley. The 4.3 magnitude quake rattled homes, disrupted transit, and raised new concerns about seismic risks along the Hayward Fault, one of California’s most closely watched fault lines.
What We Know About the San Francisco Earthquake Today
The berkeley earthquake struck at approximately 2:56 a.m. PDT with a depth of about 4.8 miles. According to the USGS earthquake tracker, shaking was felt across San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, and neighboring East Bay cities. While classified as a moderate temblor, this earthquake bay area incident awakened thousands of residents and left many searching “earthquake near me” as they scrambled for information.
Key details from the usgs earthquake california report:
Detail | Information |
---|---|
Magnitude | 4.3 (initially reported as 4.6 earthquake) |
Epicenter | Berkeley, CA (near UC Berkeley) |
Depth | 7–8 km (approx. 4.8 miles) |
Time | 2:56 a.m. PDT |
Closest Major Cities | San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda |
Fault Line | Hayward Fault |
Where the Bay Area Earthquake Was Felt
Residents across the region reported the sf earthquake with varying intensities. The earthquake oakland, earthquake berkeley ca, and earthquake alameda communities were among the hardest hit. People in San Francisco described a strong jolt, while others farther away only experienced light shaking.
Impacted locations included:
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San Francisco earthquake today reports came in from the Mission District, Downtown, and Sunset neighborhoods.
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Oakland earthquake just now was trending as residents shared experiences of rattling windows and falling items.
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Berkeley earthquake today near the campus prompted emergency checks of older structures.
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Earthquake bay area just now also reached as far south as San Jose and north toward Vallejo.
Aftershocks and Earthquake Forecast
The usgs earthquakes system confirmed at least two aftershocks following the initial temblor. These included a 2.3 magnitude quake at 7:44 a.m. and a 2.6 magnitude quake at 8:01 a.m. in Berkeley.
Forecast probabilities by USGS:
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24% chance of another quake magnitude 3.0 or higher within the week.
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3% chance of a 4.0 or greater event.
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Less than 1% chance of a 5.0 or larger earth quake.
Residents are advised to remain alert for an earthquake aftershock, particularly those living along the Hayward Fault.
Impact on Transit, Infrastructure, and Daily Life
The bay area earthquake today caused temporary service slowdowns on BART while tracks were inspected. Some businesses reported broken windows and scattered merchandise. Fortunately, no serious injuries or major structural damage have been confirmed.
In bay area news, emergency services are continuing safety assessments across affected communities. Experts stress that this california earthquake today should serve as a reminder of the importance of earthquake readiness.
Why the Hayward Fault Matters
Seismologists have long warned that the Hayward Fault poses one of the greatest seismic threats in the United States. Running through Oakland, Berkeley, and nearby cities, it has the potential to unleash a far stronger ca earthquake than the 4.6 magnitude earthquake felt this week.
According to the earthquake scale, the recent quake falls under “light to moderate,” but history shows the Bay Area must prepare for the possibility of larger earthquakes today or in the near future.
What Residents Are Asking After the SF Earthquake Just Now
In the aftermath of the sf earthquake today just now, searches such as “was there an earthquake just now in california” surged online. Common questions included:
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Was this a warning sign of a bigger earthquake in san francisco?
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Could the earthquake now san francisco trigger more tremors?
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How does this event compare to past earthquake california incidents?
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What tools like the earthquake tracker or ShakeAlert can provide real-time updates?