WATSONVILLE — Two small earthquakes struck near Watsonville on Tuesday night.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the first was a magnitude 3.6, its epicenter a few miles east of Interlaken at 10:02 p.m, with a depth of 7.3 kilometers. Another small quake with a magnitude of 2.7 came just a minute after, with a depth of 9.2 kilometers.
The earthquakes hit along the San Andreas Fault boundary, and could be felt throughout the Pajaro Valley, into Aptos and even as far away as Morgan Hill.
Residents described the first quake as “jarring,” waking them from sleep and rattling their windows. No reports of damage or injuries were made.
Another earthquake struck the Pinnacles area at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday, with a magnitude of 3.5 and depth of about 7.4 kilometers.
California has seen a number of small, under 5.0 magnitude earthquakes in the past month. After the 4.4 magnitude earthquake near Berkeley on Jan. 4, USGS officials reminded residents to remain prepared in the likely event of a larger quake, particularly to secure large, heavy items against walls and remove any objects hanging over beds and other sleeping areas.
For earthquake preparedness tips, visit redcross.org or fema.gov.
