Petrolia, California — A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck offshore of Northern California late Wednesday night, shaking the Humboldt County coast area.

What happened:

The quake hit about 71 miles west of Petrolia, California, at 10:56 PM Central Time on Wednesday, November 4 (8:56 PM Pacific Time). The U.S. Geological Survey puts the depth at about 1.3 miles below the surface, a shallow quake. It struck in the Pacific Ocean off the Humboldt County coastline.

Impacts:

Shaking in the area was light, with an intensity reading of about 2.8 on the shaking scale. The Geological Survey had received a handful of felt reports from people in the region in the first minutes after the quake. No tsunami was generated, and no damage reports were listed in the Geological Survey's early data.

What to do:

- Drop, cover, and hold on during shaking, and stay away from windows and heavy objects that could fall.

- After the shaking stops, check your home for hazards such as gas leaks, broken glass, and damaged walls.

- Expect aftershocks. Smaller quakes can follow a quake like this one, so stay alert and be ready to drop, cover, and hold on again.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), November 4, 2026.