eureka

Fear, anxiety and confusion swept across the West Coast early Thursday when a rare tsunami warning was issued for parts of Northern California and southern Oregon following a magnitude 7 earthquake that hit about 55 miles off the shore of Eureka.

Centered under the Pacific Ocean about 70 miles southwest of Eureka, the strong quake frayed nerves across most of California’s North Coast.

Centered under the Pacific Ocean about 70 miles southwest of Eureka, the quake frayed nerves across most of California’s North Coast.

The earthquake occurred at 10:44 a.m. with an epicenter under the Pacific Ocean, about 70 miles southwest of Eureka and 110 miles northwest of Mendocino.

“It was a big earthquake,” said Kaitlin Graves, an employee at Petrolia General Store about 50 miles south of Eureka.