Gavin Newsom declares emergency after Northern California earthquake, tsunami warning

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has officially declared Thursday’s Northern California earthquake as an emergency, activating state resources, including the National Guard and access to state fairgrounds for any necessary emergency evacuations.

The governor said that the National Weather Service’s tsunami warning, that went out after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the NorCal region, was part of a protocol for whenever an earthquake 5.0 or larger hits near the coastline. That warning has since been lifted.

“Nonetheless, we’re concerned about damage, particularly in the northern part of the state — Del Norte and Mendocino and Humboldt counties,” Newsom said.

The governor announced the signing of an emergency declaration while speaking at a press conference near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Newsom said he did not have any further information at this time, but that his office would provide further updates in the coming hours and days.

Newsom was quick to take to social media following the temblor, informing the public that he had been briefed on the event and that he was working with state emergency officials to keep Californians safe. He said that the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services was coordinating the state’s response.

“It’s another reminder of the state we live in and the state of mind we need to bring to our day-to-day reality in the state of California in terms of being prepared for earthquakes,” Newsom said.

This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 12:47 PM.