Getting Closer

I’m still expecting a major earthquake in California – one I predicted months ago.  This quake, which occurred Monday, would have been big news in Southeast Texas, but was not major by California standards, and I almost missed it:

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck Northern California this afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This moderate-sized temblor was located close to the state's border with Oregon and close to the Pacific coast. The epicenter was close to the rural community of Weitchpec, which is just more than 200 miles northwest of Sacramento and 31 miles north of Eureka.

* The depth of this quake was 20.4 miles.

* It struck at 1:07 p.m. PST and less than an hour later, the official USGS Twitter account said the "Did you feel it?" reporting function on the agency's website had received more than 2,000 reports.

* The Associated Press reported sheriff's deputies from Humboldt County and officers from theEureka Police Department checked on residents and looked for damage. There were no initial reports of damage, although some residents felt shaking or swaying, and one small store experienced goods being knocked from shelves.

Then Wednesday morning there was this:

(Reuters) - A strong 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck on Tuesday roughly 160 miles off the coast of Oregon, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake struck at 7:31 p.m. Pacific time at a depth of 6.2 miles in the Pacific Ocean 159 miles west of Coos Bay, Oregon. It was felt as far away as San Francisco, California, according to the USGS.

A spokesman for the Portland police said he did not feel the quake. There were immediate reports of damage or injuries.

No tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

So….

Either this is the build-up to my big one, or a release of pressure that will push it further into the future.  Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.