A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California, according to the US Geological Survey.
A tsunami warning was initially issued for both the northern California and southern Oregon coasts following the earthquake, but has since been canceled.
The epicenter of the earthquake was near the town of Ferndale, California, a small city in Humboldt County.
It was unclear how extensive the damage was, but a Ferndale resident who spoke to the BBC in the minutes after the quake said the interior of the building he was in “looked like every room had been bombed”.
Olivia Cobian, the innkeeper at the Gingerbread Mansion Inn in Ferndale, said the inside of the inn now “looks like a war zone.”
“We had big cast iron fireplaces lifted up and moved, everything fell, broke”.
Several aftershocks were reported after the initial earthquake, which occurred around 1400 ET (9:00 GMT).
Kayla Aihara was staying at a hotel in Half Moon Bay, California, and received back-to-back warnings of an earthquake and potential tsunami.
Before the tsunami warning was lifted, hotel workers had told them to evacuate the gym and move to higher ground, fearing the impact of the tsunami.
Some were evacuated outside and many people gathered near the shore of the Pacific Coast Hotel, watching the waves and waiting for any signs of a tsunami, he said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the earthquakes and is meeting with state emergency officials to help coordinate the response.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services said it had not immediately received any reports indicating extensive damage.
Typically, first responders in the area after an earthquake inspect buildings and roads for damage and structural integrity.
The US West Coast is the confluence of the Earth’s tectonic plates, and earthquakes are not uncommon.
The region has been hit by several major earthquakes, including the 1994 earthquake in Northridge, Los Angeles, which killed dozens and injured thousands, as it caused billions of dollars in damage to homes and infrastructure.
