Quake, rattle and roll: Morning tremor wakes the Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - A 4.2 magnitude earthquake centered 2 miles northeast of downtown Oakland shook both sides of the bay this morning, leaving more than 1,400 residents without power and causing delays on BART.

The quake, which occurred at 4:42 a.m., according to early reports from the U.S. Geological Survey, was felt throughout the entire East Bay and in San Francisco, though no damage has been reported in The City.

BART was not damaged, said spokesperson Linton Johnson, although all trains were immediately stopped so tracks could be checked for damages.

As service resumed, trains were running at half speed so drivers could assess the stability of the tracks in front of them. Morning commuters experienced five- to seven-minute delays.

There were 20 separate power outages, all in the East Bay, according to PG&E. The majority of outages occurred in Oakland. Crews are still investigating the extent of the problem.

Residents reported items falling off shelves and broken glass, but no serious injuries have been reported.

The tremor shattered windows in a Berkeley Safeway store, which was closed due to the damage.  

It also left a big hole in the window of Dream Fluff Donuts, a neighborhood institution in the Elmwood district about a mile from the University of California, Berkeley campus.

The damage meant rows of glistening doughnuts in the front window of the Dream Fluff weren't for sale Friday, but that didn't put much of a cramp in business with the usual bustle of customers stopping by for coffee and other freshly baked goods.

The USGS said the epicenter of the earthquake was east of Highway 13 near Holy Names University and Joaquin Miller Park, in the Oakland hills.

Advertisement