Here's why a tsunami warning was sent

A ‘non-destructive’ tsunami was spotted after California’s earthquake. Simulations show the dangers of a real one
The 7.0 earthquake earlier this month led to a tsunami warning that was quickly canceled by forecasters but officials have warned people not to assume the next event will play out the same way
Here's why a tsunami warning was sent after the 7.0 earthquake in Northern California
A tsunami warning for the Bay Area after the earthquake in Northern California might have come as a surprise. Here's why it was sent.
What to know about Northern California’s rare tsunami warning
The National Weather Service in Monterey said Thursday's tsunami alert prompted “questions, frustration, and even some anger."
Why Didn’t California’s 7.0 Earthquake Cause a Tsunami?
On December 5, authorities alerted the public of a potential tsunami from a 7.0 earthquake in the waters of Northern California. But why didn't it happen?
7.0 Quake Rattles Northern California, Prompting a Brief Tsunami Warning
Yet despite the earthquake’s intensity — a magnitude of 7.0, according to the U.S. Geological Survey — the shaking caused little damage because of its remote epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, 200 miles north of San Francisco Bay. The tsunami warnings were canceled about an hour after they were issued.
The California tsunami danger is real. The 7.0 earthquake is wake-up call to prepare
Onlookers gaze out to sea at the Sutro Baths overlook in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2025. A tsunami warning was issued after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of the Humboldt Peninsula on Thursday morning, but it was later canceled. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group/TNS)
Northern California coastal evacuations lifted after quake prompts tsunami warning
A tsunami warning for the Northern California coast prompted by a major earthquake that struck in the ocean off Humboldt County Thursday morning has been lifted, officials said.
7.0 earthquake off Northern California prompts brief tsunami warning
The National Weather Service has canceled its tsunami warning for the U.S. West Coast after there was a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. According to the U.S.
7.0 magnitude earthquake reported off Northern California coast, tsunami warning canceled
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake was reported in northern California on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Magnitude 7 quake strikes off California, tsunami warning canceled
A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7 hit off the coast of a sparsely populated area of northern California on Thursday, prompting coastal towns to evacuate low-lying areas amid a tsunami warning that was later canceled.
Scientists warn California tsunami danger is real after 7.0 earthquake
Scientists have warned that the major earthquake that rocked California on Thursday is a wake-up call to prepare for a future tsunami. The magnitude 7.0 quake struck 55 miles off the shore of Eureka.
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