A 5.6-magnitude earthquake rumbled through Mendocino County early Thursday morning—and here’s what made it different: over a million people already knew it was coming.
California’s earthquake warning system, powered by the free MyShake app, sent nearly 657,000 alerts before the ground started shaking near Willits and Redwood Valley. That’s the kind of early warning that gives you those vital seconds to drop, cover, and hold on. For some folks far from the epicenter, the app bought them 30 seconds or more of preparation time. That might not sound like much, but when the earth starts moving, every second counts.
The quake, centered near Willits in Mendocino County, was the strongest to hit the area since 1940. Windows rattled, wine bottles smashed, and items flew off shelves across Northern California—including here in Sacramento, where we definitely felt the shake. PG&E reported 10,000 customers lost power, though service came back pretty quickly. Minor injuries were reported, but thankfully no major damage. A fisherman on Clear Lake even captured something wild on video: bubbles rising from the lake bottom right after the quake hit, a visible reminder of how much force was moving beneath the surface.
What made this earthquake notable wasn’t just its strength—it was the real-world proof that California’s early warning system actually works. Governor Gavin Newsom highlighted exactly that in his statement, saying the alerts gave Californians those crucial seconds. He’s right: this is the system doing its job. California was the first state to launch earthquake warning alerts, debuting MyShake in 2019 as a partnership between UC Berkeley’s Seismology Lab and USGS. The app detects quakes of magnitude 4.5 or greater across California, Oregon, and Washington, and it’s gotten serious traction—4.5 million downloads just this week alone, and over 6.8 million alerts delivered across 194 earthquakes so far.
If you don’t have the MyShake app yet, now’s the time. It’s free, available in six languages (English, Spanish, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese), and you can grab it from the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can even see real damage reports from other users in your area. Governor Newsom’s message is worth hearing: download it, turn on emergency alerts for your phone, and stop waiting for the next one to hit—because spoiler alert, it will. It’s not a matter of if, but when.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
