Epicenter and magnitude
Prior to 3:00 AM Pacific Time, September 22, a magnitude-4.3 earthquake struck less than 2 miles ESE from downtown Berkeley along the Hayward Fault system. Simply put, the earthquake just before 3 a.m. had its epicenter less than two miles east-southeast of downtown Berkeley, inside the Hayward Fault system. The U.S. Geological Survey’s first automatic reading of 4.6 was subsequently revised downward to 4.4 and finally to 4.3, with a focus depth of roughly 4.8 miles beneath the surface.
From Santa Rosa up in the North Bay to Salinas down in Monterey County, all felt the quake. Had there been an actual reporting system, there would have been over 24,000 “Did You Feel It?” responses expressed within hours, indicating light to moderate shaking that had awakened the sleeping Bay Area residents for a few moments. In San Francisco and Oakland, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties, occupants reported swaying of their homes and rattling of dishes and cupboards as if heavy trucks had struck.
Assessment of structural damage
Local officials and responding agencies immediately went into action to assess potential damages. The San Francisco Fire Department confirmed no immediate reports of injuries or structural damage in the city. The Emergency Management Office of Berkeley also had no major reports of damage to the public infrastructure or its housing stock.
Although major destruction was avoided, a few businesses in Berkeley did see slight impact. At one boba tea shop, an entire shelving display jar fell, while across the street, the butcher shop had its whole window shattered, debris being merchandise from shelving units that tipped and fell during the quake. No injuries were sustained in all these incidents; the business had everything cleaned up by midmorning.
Transportation and transit precautions
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) had its ShakeAlert safety protocols activated, slowing train speeds across the system while inspecting track integrity. Morning commuters were warned to expect delays up to 20 minutes while engineers were testing the integrity of the rails. By mid-morning, all of the inspections concluded, finding no damage to the rail, and full speed service was resumed.
Expert opinion on the unlikelihood of major damage
Seismologists stress that earthquakes in the range 4.0-4.9 almost always cause little to no structural damage, and sometimes these earthquakes are strong enough to scare the residents. USGS scientists emphasize that a minor earthquake such as the one on Monday poses no tsunami threats and only has a tiny chance (about 5 percent) of being succeeded by a larger one in subsequent days.
The USGS rates a probability of about 4 percent for an occurrence of another quake of magnitude 4.0 or stronger in the Bay Area in the week. It is possible to have aftershocks of similar sizes but are not likely to cause much impact. Local emergency agencies are recommending residents review their earthquake preparedness plans—this means securing heavy furniture, keeping an emergency supply kit stocked, and practicing Drop, Cover, and Hold On drills.
Community response and resilience
On social media, everyone managed to awake, sharing video clips of shaking ceilings. According to UCB’s campus safety office, no damage occurred to any primary research buildings and historic landmarks. With daylight, collective relief for the region reaffirmed the Bay Area’s strong emergency systems and public education programs, which together downgraded anxiety and assured rapid recovery when moderate temblors strike.
Consider it a rude awakening; the early-morning quake of 4.3 was a reinforcement not so much of destruction but of the region’s inevitability and stickiness. Even so, authorities will keep watching seismic activity and urge all Bay Area residents to remain on alert for future shakes.
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