Earthquake Hits Near San Jose Updates: Video Shows Classroom, Homes Shaking

Video Shows Classroom, Homes Shaking

Residents living around the San Jose area are sharing videos of the moment the 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit.

KTTV shared videos showed artwork hanging in a classroom, a chandelier and a floor lamp wobbling when the earthquake hit, from inside a school and homes.

Seismologist Recalls 2007 Quake Nearby

Cal Tech seismologist Lucy Jones referenced a 2007 earthquake while talking with the KNTV-TV about the 5.1 quake that hit near San Jose on Tuesday.

Jones told the station a 5.4-magnitude earthquake near Alum Rock was "pretty close" to where the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the epicenter of Tuesday's earthquake was located. Both earthquakes were reported as being near the Calaveras Fault.

Jones said people near Alum Rock and San Jose were likely to have felt Tuesday's earthquake "pretty strongly" and that it may have caused some items to fall off shelves in homes nearby for some people, but that it likely did not result in serious structural damage.

"A California building shouldn't be having trouble from this," Jones said.

Jones also referenced an earthquake that occurred near Ridgecrest in 2019, which did cause damage to structures in the area. That earthquake was measured at a 6.4 magnitude and had a 7.1-magnitude aftershock two days later. Jones told the station Tuesday's earthquake was the first she had felt since the Ridgecrest earthquakes.

In a Tuesday afternoon tweet, Jones identified Tuesday's earthquake as the largest in the area since 2014. The USGS identifies that earthquake, which occurred along the West Napa Fault in August 2014, as "the largest earthquake in over 25 years to hit the San Francisco Bay Area" and said it caused "significant damage" in Napa Valley.

San Jose Airport Under Inspection

Crews are inspecting the San Jose International Airport following the earthquake and subsequent aftershock.

"Our team has inspected the entire airport campus," the airport said in a tweet.

The airport said operations are "not impacted in any way."

All Students, Employees Safe at San Jose School District

There were no injuries or damage reported at the San Jose Unified School District following the nearby 5.1 earthquake.

"We immediately checked in with all schools using emergency radios to assess the situation," the district said in an email obtained by KNTV. "All schools have reported and we do not have damage, injuries, or concerns at any school."

The district said all students and employees are safe and the schools will continue their normal schedule for the remainder of the day.

No Damage Found on BART Tracks

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) said all operations have been cleared to resume as normal following a track inspection prompted by Tuesday morning's earthquake near San Jose.

BART said it halted most trains for five minutes to see if there would be any major aftershocks. After the five-minute hold was over, system personnel began track inspections and warned travelers that there could be "major delays systemwide" as those inspections were completed.

As of 11:55 a.m. local time, BART said its trains resumed moving and were facing delays of 12 to 15 minutes. By 12:21 p.m., BART said all of its inspections were completed.

"No damage found and all service is clear for normal operations," BART notified travelers in a tweet, which added that delays were running between three and 18 minutes.

Quake 'Gently Rattled' Modesto

The earthquake "gently rattled" the city of Modesto, the school district said Tuesday.

Modesto, located in California's Central Valley, is some 90 miles northeast of San Jose.

"Today at 11:42 a.m., MCS felt an earthquake with an epicenter near San Jose, CA," Modesto City Schools tweeted.'

"The preliminary 5.1 earthquake gently rattled the City of Modesto. All students and staff are safe. This serves as a great reminder to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" during an earthquake emergency!"

Aftershock of 3.1 Magnitude Follows Initial Quake

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay Area Tuesday.

At 11:42 a.m. PT, the U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck 12 miles east of San Jose and about 40 miles southeast of downtown San Francisco at a depth of about four miles.

A 3.1 aftershock was also reported about five minutes after the initial quake.

People as far south of Santa Cruz reported feeling the earthquake, according to the Associated Press.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Fire Officials Report No Emergency Calls

The San Jose Fire Department said it did not receive any immediate emergency calls after an earthquake shook the region shortly before noon on Tuesday.

The fire department notified the public that it had received no calls related to the earthquake thus far in a Tuesday afternoon post on Twitter. The post encouraged people in the area to "Drop, Cover and Hold On" in the event of an aftershock. The fire department also provided a link to earthquake safety tips.

At about 12:30 p.m., the San Jose Fire Department said fire officials were making assessments to be sure that the department will be "ready to respond to any emergencies."