The earthquake’s epicenter was in Boulder Creek, about 30 minutes north of the city of Santa Cruz.
The epicenter of Thursday morning’s quake was in Santa Cruz County. US Geological Survey
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake in Santa Cruz County shook Berkeley, Oakland and the broader Bay Area early Thursday morning.
The quake’s epicenter was in Boulder Creek, about 30 minutes north of the city of Santa Cruz off Highway 9.
The temblor was recorded at 1:41 a.m. with a depth of 6.7 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
Writing on Reddit, Berkeley residents said the earthquake woke them up.
“Shook my whole house,” one person wrote.
“I got an alert on my phone for it like 30 seconds before I felt it,” wrote another.
Good morning Northern California! Did you feel the magnitude 4.9 quake about 1 mile southeast of Boulder Creek at 1:41 am? The #ShakeAlert system was activated. See: https://t.co/nwxUGkr8S8 @Cal_OES @CAGeoSurvey @USGS_Quakes @FEMARegion9 @sccounty pic.twitter.com/FmhFk0JEG7
— USGS ShakeAlert (@USGS_ShakeAlert) April 2, 2026
UC Berkeley put out an alert about the earthquake at 1:41 a.m.
“An earthquake of initial magnitude 5.1 was detected at or near Boulder Creek, CA, with expected shaking in Berkeley,” authorities wrote. “Please drop (lock), cover, and hold on if you feel shaking. This WarnMe message is powered by MyShake.”
In an update just before 2:20 a.m., UC announced the “all clear.”
“There has been minimal impact on campus, and no damage has been reported. Aftershocks are possible,” UC Berkeley wrote.
Learn more about the MyShake app. This story was updated after publication due to the developing nature of events.
Berkeley earthquakes since 2023
Earthquakes in or near Berkeley, of magnitude 2.5 or greater, since Jan. 1, 2023. USGS
There have been 12 earthquakes in or near Berkeley, of magnitude 2.5 or greater, since Jan. 1, 2023, according to USGS data.
July 27, 2023: magnitude 2.7 in Berkeley on Roble RoadOct. 4, 2023: magnitude 2.5 in Berkeley just east of The UplandsOct. 24, 2023: magnitude 2.5 in Berkeley on Cyclotron RoadApril 6, 2024: magnitude 3.2 in Oakland under the Claremont HotelApril 1, 2025: magnitude 2.7 in Oakland east of Grizzly Peak BoulevardJune 1, 2025: magnitude 2.5 in Oakland just south of Highway 24Aug. 31, 2025: magnitude 2.6 in Berkeley at Clark KerrSept. 22, 2025: magnitude 4.3 near UC BerkeleySept. 22, 2025: magnitude 2.6 near Claremont Avenue and Tunnel RoadSept. 22, 2025: magnitude 2.9 on Prince Street near Claremont AvenueSept. 25, 2025: magnitude 2.8 between Tunnel and Alvarado roadsOct. 16, 2025: magnitude 3.0 under Calvin Lab at UC BerkeleyMore Berkeley earthquake resources
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