A pair of earthquakes hit off the Oregon coast early Wednesday morning, with one surpassing a 5.0 magnitude.

The first earthquake, a 4.8 magnitude, hit at 6:42 a.m. while the second, a 5.4 magnitude, struck at 7 a.m.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is asking people to report if they felt the quakes, with the 5.4 magnitude already getting activity on the Community Internet Intensity Map.

According to USGS, there is a 44% chance of a magnitude 3.0 aftershock in the same area.

Pacific Northwest earthquake could set off ‘the bigger one’

Meanwhile, a recent study found “the big one” in the Pacific Northwest could set off “the bigger one,” triggering California’s San Andreas fault and leading to a monumental disaster, The Guardian reported.

“If they both went off together, then you’ve got potentially San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver all in an emergency situation in a compressed timeframe,” Dr. Chris Goldfinger, the study’s lead author and a marine geologist and geophysicist, told The Guardian.

Goldfinger told Science that if the Cascadia fault zone went off, he would take that as a clear warning for the San Andreas area.

Keep up with real-time earthquake information on MyNorthwest.

Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here.

The earthquake struck approximately 7.2 miles northwest of North Saanich, British Columbia, according to USGS.

The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network noted the earthquake was registered at 5:30 a.m. at a depth of 7.7 miles.

A total of 93 people have reported feeling the earthquake to USGS as of this reporting.

There have been no reported injuries caused by the earthquake.

People who felt the earthquake are urged to report it to USGS.

Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here.

The U.S. Geological Survey says it was a 2.8 magnitude quake.

It hit just after 7:30 a.m. and was about 20 kilometers in depth.

Eleven people reported feeling it in places like North Bend, Snoqualmie, Carnation, and Gold Bar.

Small quake shakes Fall City area, no damage or injuries reported

There are no reports of injuries or damage.

Earthquakes occur nearly every day in Washington. Most are too small to be felt or cause damage.

According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Washington has the second-highest risk in the U.S. of these large and damaging earthquakes because of its geologic setting.

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“The sirens were going off every hour with the warning of three hours to the first wave, two hours to the first wave, and it got down to like 15 minutes to the first wave,” Edmonds resident Liz Milici told KIRO Newsradio. “We didn’t know how big this was going to be, if anything at all. We just didn’t know.”

There was fear and anxiety, like ‘What if this happens?’ Because your mind does flash back to Indonesia. We’ve seen the images. We’ve heard the horrific stories and tragedies that have happened in the past, and so your mind does go there,” she continued.

Milici travels to Hawaii at least once a year. She’s very familiar with the islands and had accommodations on the beach.

“I went down to the local mart and got some food and water, and I thought, ‘OK, I don’t know where I’m going, but I can’t be where I’m going to be if the tsunami is coming because I’m staying right on the waterfront,'” she shared.

Traffic jammed as Hawaii residents tried to evade tsunami

Milici headed for higher ground — a trip she said should have taken 20 minutes, but took two hours, as roads were packed with cars trying to get away from the coast.

“As I was driving to my friend’s house, the local parks that were on higher ground, they were just jam-packed with people,” she said. “That’s where everyone went. People were just hanging out at parks.”

The impact of the tsunami was minimal, and by 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the all-clear was given, and vacations on the island resumed. Milici praised local authorities for their handling of the situation and the warnings and information they provided.

Follow James Lynch on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.

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The National Weather Service (NWS) provided an update around 11 a.m. Wednesday. While the alerts have ended, NWS has advised people to check with local officials to determine the areas are safe to return.

ICYMI: All tsunami alerts have ended for WA state. The threat of inundation over 1 ft has ended. However, local impacts may still be ongoing. Please follow the instructions of local officials who have the authority to determine if it is safe to return to the affected areas. https://t.co/0WuJjLldk3

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) July 30, 2025

The tsunami advisory spanned from the outer coast of the Oregon and Washington border to Slip Point, the Columbia River estuary coast, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The National Tsunami Center explained in its report that a tsunami advisory includes strong currents and waves that can be dangerous to people in or near the water. It also recommended staying out of the water, away from beaches, and waterways.

Coastal areas were advised to stay alert, as stated by the National Weather Service (NWS).

“We continue to see tsunami waves arrive along the coast as well as Strait of Juan de Fuca. Reminder: Do not attempt to go to the shore to observe the tsunami waves. Keep away until local officials say it is safe to return,” NWS Seattle stated just before 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Waves along the Washington Coast have reportedly been around 3 inches to 1.3 feet, according to KIRO 7 meteorologist Nick Allard.

Wave heights so far at the coast. Ranging from 3″ to 1.3′. #NickKnows #wawx pic.twitter.com/SneiwvHh3J

— Nick Allard (@NickAllardKIRO7) July 30, 2025

The advisory across the West Coast spanned from Alaska to the California-Mexico border, as shown on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s online map.  The advisory was upgraded to a warning for the area from the Oregon/California border to the Humboldt/Del Norte Line, California, on Wednesday at approximately 5:20 a.m.

The weather event came after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Russia on Tuesday at 4:25, NWS reported. The earthquake is tied for the sixth-strongest magnitude ever recorded, since Japan’s 9.1 magnitude earthquake in 2011.

Tsunami advisory issued for Washington coast late Tuesday night

KIRO Newsradio’s Luke Duecy was on the scene in Ocean Shores.

In #OceanShores after last night’s #TsunamiWarningAlert – a lot of nervous people last night. Many wondering if it’s a matter of time… more on @KIRONewsradio and @Mynorthwest pic.twitter.com/7wU4seFOKL

— Luke Duecy (@LukeKIRO) July 30, 2025

Areas in Washington were affected from 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to 1:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Long Beach would have experienced high waves at 11:45 p.m., Westport at 11:55 p.m., Port Angeles at 12:20 a.m., Port Townsend at 12:45 a.m., and Bellingham at 1:10 a.m.

“The shaking of the earth is your warning of tsunami,” the City of Seattle’s website stated. “Once the shaking stops, run to high ground. If there is no higher ground or no time to reach higher ground, climb into the upper levels of a multi-story structure.”

For a detailed list of potentially affected areas, visit NWS’s website.

Contributing: Jason Sutich, MyNorthwest

Follow Julia Dallas on X. Read her stories here. Submit news tips here.

The quake happened just before 2 a.m. It struck about 2.3 miles west of Mount Vernon and 24.4 miles south of Bellingham.

PRELIM Earthquake: M3.1, 4.5 km W from Mount Vernon, WA at 2025/06/03 01:59 PDT https://t.co/3u6Kri0vcH
Did You Feel It?: https://t.co/C7v7Z8sqAh pic.twitter.com/zi3SRVqPJJ

— PNSN (@PNSN1) June 3, 2025

The quake was more than five miles in depth. No injuries or substantial damage have been reported at this time. Follow MyNorthwest’s earthquake tracker for more up-to-date tracking.

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.

GREENWATER, Wash. — A 3.7 magnitude earthquake was reported near the town of Greenwater, south of Snoqualmie Pass, on Sunday morning.

The quake happened at around 8:15 a.m. and may have been felt from Mt. Rainier National Park to Snoqualmie.

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Did you feel it? A 3.7 #earthquake happened north of Mount Rainier at 8:15 Sunday morning. #wawx pic.twitter.com/hvD5EmKwmj

— Morgan Palmer (@MorganKIRO7) April 6, 2025

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The latest tremor, a magnitude 3.9 quake, struck near Port Angeles on Wednesday, following a magnitude 4.5 quake near Orcas Island on Monday. These events are part of a noticeable uptick in seismic activity in the region.

Harold Tobin, Director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and a professor at the University of Washington, said that while the increase in earthquakes is noticeable, it is not necessarily a cause for alarm.

“I would say the same thing as I said last week or early this week. Don’t worry about it,” Tobin told Charlie Harger, host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio.

He acknowledged that the region has experienced about four noticeably felt earthquakes in the past couple of weeks, which is an uptick but still within the normal range of seismic activity for the area.

Are these earthquakes related?

Tobin explained that, in a broad sense, these earthquakes are all connected due to the tectonic activity in the region.

“We sit at this place where two of these giant tectonic plates grind against each other in the Earth’s crust,” he said. “In the smaller picture… they are quite different types of earthquakes,” Tobin noted.

Residents have been actively reporting their experiences with the recent quakes. The 4.5 magnitude quake near Orcas Island generated over 10,000 felt reports, while the more recent 3.9 magnitude quake, which was deeper, resulted in fewer reports.

“Different experience for people,” Tobin said, highlighting the variability in how earthquakes are felt depending on their depth and location.

The ShakeAlert app, designed to provide early warnings for significant earthquakes, was triggered by the Orcas Island quake but not by the smaller, more recent tremor.

“For the Orcas Island quake, it did trigger the apps that alert at the 4.5 level,” Tobin explained.

The system correctly determined that the quake did not meet the threshold for a full broadcast alert, which is set at magnitude 5.

What about the “Big One?”

Looking ahead, Tobin addressed the looming question of the “Big One,” a massive earthquake that could strike the region at any time.

“We are 325 years since the last one. We know that the average time between those from geological studies is about 450 to 500 years, but with quite a range,” he said.

While the exact timing is unpredictable, Tobin emphasized the importance of preparedness.

In the shorter term, Tobin suggested that the region is more likely to experience a significant but less catastrophic quake, like the 2001 Nisqually earthquake.

“That’s very strong shaking that will really cause significant damage potentially and could cause injuries,” he said.

The Nisqually quake, which had a magnitude of 6.8, caused extensive damage but fortunately resulted in no fatalities.

Related from MyNorthwest: 4.5 earthquake strikes off Orcas Island

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People reported feeling the earthquake in Auburn, Bremerton, Enumclaw, Kent, Marysville, Seattle, Renton, Tacoma, Graham, and Olympia. King County Emergency Management has asked people to report whether or not they felt it to the U.S. Geological Survey, as they track the impacts of the earthquake.

Frank Lenzi, news director at KIRO Newsradio, said he felt the shaking for about five seconds while he was in bed reading at his home in Tacoma. “I thought it was the cat,” Lenzi said. “I thought he was scratching the mattress and shaking it.” However, the cat was several feet away in its bed.

“The doors were kind of shaking on the hinges,” said Lenzi’s wife, Maxine. “The whole bed was shaking, though. That’s when we knew it had to be something else.”

No damage was reported at Lenzi’s house, and there have been no reports of any major damage elsewhere.

PRELIM Earthquake: M3.5, 16.2 km SW from Maple Valley, WA at 2025/02/22 03:45 PST https://t.co/Xmjj5fETTD
Did You Feel It?: https://t.co/35vW3infNd pic.twitter.com/up6hCOXHXY

— PNSN (@PNSN1) February 22, 2025

More from MyNorthwest: Did you feel that? Emergency officials estimate 5.1 British Columbia earthquake

Updated 9:09am on 2-22-25 with details from the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.

Follow @http://twitter.com/Mynorthwest

The collision took place just before 10:30 a.m., after the driver of the semi made a wrong turn.

There were two people in the cab of the semi when it became stuck on the tracks.

According to KIRO 7, both of the occupants made it out of the truck before it was struck.

The television station obtained a video of the crash.

It shows the moment of impact, when the train’s locomotive smashed into the truck sitting on the tracks.

That video has been posted online by KIRO 7.

An Amtrak train headed southbound struck a semi truck at this railroad crossing in Auburn. (Photo: Valley Regional Fire)

The train hit the semi at a rail crossing on 29th St. N.W. at B St. N.W.,  just east of Emerald Downs.

The Amtrak train was headed south when it struck the disabled semi.

Amtrak says there were 157 passengers on board the train. 

No one on the train reported any injuries.

As a result of the collision, all Amtrak trains running between Seattle and Tacoma were delayed, and were operating about an hour behind schedule.

Auburn police also closed the southbound lane of B St. N.W. as crews begin the cleanup of debris from the collision.

It’s unclear how the semi became stuck at the rail crossing.

At 7:45 a.m., a call came in reporting the suspicious backpack. Police evacuated the Seattle Police Department (SPD) East Precinct and apartments and businesses in a two-block radius in the area.

According to a Seattle Fire Department spokesperson, members of the SPD Bomb Squad were sent to inspect the backpack first. After they determined there were no explosives, a hazardous materials team investigated for chemicals or other dangerous substances.

They did find a white powdery substance in that backpack and it turned out to be nothing hazardous. The team on the scene was working to determine what the white powder was.

No chemicals or no explosives were found. Officials gave the “all clear” signal between 9:40 and 9:45 a.m.

“With something like this, it’s a precaution,” SPD Detective Brian Pritchard said. “In this day and age you never know, so we want to do is make sure everyone is safe.”

SPD found a white powdery substance inside a pack left outside the #spd East precinct – not hazardous and no explosives … pic.twitter.com/KdJVGynTPZ

— Luke Duecy (@KIROLukeD) December 12, 2024

The SFD reported on X late Thursday morning that crews conducted multiple tests to determine the area is safe.

“We are turning the scene over to Seattle Police for them to reopen the area after our crews return to service,” the department’s online statement published just after 9:40 a.m. reads.

There were no reported injuries.

Streets around the area were also closed to traffic during the hours where the SFD was on the scene.

No suspect has been taken into custody. However, the SPD said to KIRO 7 the department is looking for a man who may have left the backpack at the scene.

Like something out of science fiction – hazmat crews with #sfd pic.twitter.com/O9CJeHARY5

— Luke Duecy (@KIROLukeD) December 12, 2024

Many neighborhood residents told KIRO NewsRadio they were initially shocked by the sirens and large response. However, some said they’re not surprised the incident involved the East Precinct. “If anything, that makes sense,” Megan, a local resident, said. “That sort of makes sense, if you’re going to target a precinct I could see that happening here in this precinct.”

The SPD East Precinct was the target of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) in 2020 amid protests that were, at times, violent over the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis. The SPD vacated and boarded up the precinct only to return days later and reclaim their building.

Contributing: KIRO 7

Luke Duecy is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Luke’s stories here. Follow Luke on X, or email him here.

The earthquake’s epicenter was about 173 miles west of Bandon, nearly 180 miles away from Coos Bay and about 200 miles from Newport. All three cities are situated along the Oregon coast.

The earthquake had a depth of  6.2 miles (about 10 kilometers), according to the USGS and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN).

As of 5:20 p.m., Wednesday, there were 99 responses to the USGS about feeling the tremor in some fashion.

The quake was initially reported as a 6.1 by the National Weather Service.

There is NO Tsunami Danger with this 6.1 earthquake off the coast of Oregon. Repeat: NO Tsunami Danger. https://t.co/Fh21Qyu6qI

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) October 30, 2024

No damage or injuries have been reported and no tsunami has been indicated.

Contributing: Steve Coogan

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest.