4.6 earthquake shakes Northern California

A 4.6 magnitude earthquake jostled the Bay Area of California early Thursday. The earthquake began around 1:41 a.m. local time just outside of Boulder Creek, Calif., which is around 60 miles south of San Francisco. The tremor began around 7 miles below the Earth’s surface, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS. No injuries or deaths were reported as of midmorning Thursday, according to KABC-TV in Los Angeles. But witnesses told the news outlet that minor damage occurred. In some stores across the area, merchandise toppled off shelves during the earthquake.

Residents near the quake’s epicenter, along with those residing in San Ramon, Fremont, Burlingame, and Los Gatos reported feeling strong shaking, the USGS reported. Bay area residents said they felt a light shaking.

Could aftershocks occur? The USGS predicted there was a 27% chance that an aftershock of a magnitude of around 3 could occur within the next week. There was a 4% chance that a tremor stronger than 4 could occur within that same time span.

Dig deeper: Read my report on deadly tornadoes in Illinois and Indiana.