Summary
An alert mistakenly announced a strong earthquake in northern Nevada, but it did not occur. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) quickly canceled the alert and is investigating the error.
Key Facts
- The USGS sent an erroneous alert on Thursday for a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in northern Nevada.
- The alert was broadcast at 08:06 local time and warned of an earthquake near Carson City.
- People as far as the San Francisco Bay Area, about 200 miles away, received the alert.
- The USGS withdrew the alert and removed the false report from its website.
- The alert came from the USGS's automatic earthquake detection system.
- This is thought to be the first instance of the USGS issuing a completely false earthquake alert.
- Local law enforcement confirmed no actual ground movement in the area.
- A magnitude 5.9 earthquake can cause noticeable shaking and minor property damage.
