Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA
The Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, USA
There were no reports of significant damage after the tremor shook millions awake early Thursday morning.

Millions in the Bay Area of California were jostled awake by an early Thursday earthquake, but there have been no reports of significant damage so far.

At 1:41 a.m. local time (4:41 a.m. EDT), a magnitude 4.6 earthquake was reported by the U.S. Geological Survey just outside of Boulder Creek, California, about 60 miles south of San Francisco. The tremor was shallow, reportedly less than 7 miles below the surface.

earthquake northern california
© USGSAn early morning earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 was recorded April 2, 2026 with the epicenter near Boulder, California
The USGS said the risk of major damage or deaths was low, and so far, neither has been reported. The shaking was felt widely, with many users picking up their phones and sharing their overnight experience on social media:




"People across the Bay Area got earthquake alerts, which go out for earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 and above," said the San Francisco Chronicle. "In Boulder Creek, the alerts — unsurprisingly — came after the shaking began."

The USGS estimates a 56% chance of a magnitude 3 or higher aftershock in the next week, but only a 1% chance of a tremor stronger than 4.9 in that same time frame.