East, West Coast Tremors Remind Residents of Earthquake Country to Have a Plan

Following the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that shook the East Coast on Tuesday and the two 3.6 quakes that rattled the Bay Area over the last two days, elected officials and emergency planners throughout the Bay Area are reminding cities how important it is to have an earthquake preparedness plan.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Bay Area at 9:47 a.m. yesterday, with its epicenter about three miles north-northeast of San Leandro and six miles east-southeast of Oakland and had a depth of 5.7 miles.

There were reports that the tremor was felt around the East Bay as far away as Martinez, throughout the Peninsula and in parts of Marin County. 

An earthquake of the same magnitude struck in San Leandro on Tuesday at 11:36 p.m., and shaking was felt across much of the Bay Area. The USGS reported a 2.3-magnitude aftershock late Tuesday night. The aftershock was recorded at 11:41 p.m. in an area three miles from San Leandro, about five minutes after the initial quake.

Scientists from the USGS say Rohnert Park, Petaluma and Cotati, which sit on the Rodgers Creek Fault, are likely to be devastated in the next big Bay Area earthquake.

The reason is because the Rodgers Creek Fault is the most likely to have the next large seismic event, .

“In our probability studies, the Rodgers Creek Fault has the highest probability of producing the next large Bay Area earthquake of any of the faults we’ve looked at,” said David P. Schwartz, an earthquake scientist and with the U.S. Geological Survey and co-chair of the Bay Area Earthquake Alliance. “Towns like Petaluma and Rohnert Park, which are really very, very close to the fault, are going to suffer a lot of damage.”

Scientists predict that there is a 62 percent chance of an earthquake with a magnitude 6.7 or greater to strike the Bay Area in the next 30 years.

“When we have that large earthquake, we’re going to see a certain amount of liquefaction damage, lateral spreading … shaking, it’s just inevitable,” Schwartz said. “What people here should be aware of is that we’re not making these probabilities up.”

 and watch the video that explains how Rohnert Park residents could be impacted by the next earthquake. 

And check out what local police and fire officials are doing to prepare by .

Wondering if you home will stand up to the next big one? Do a simple test by , and don't miss the from a Sonoma State University expert on how local infrastructure could be effected.

The East Coast quake struck 38 miles outside of Richmond, Va. — approximately 100 miles southwest of the nation's capital — at about 1:50 p.m. local time. The ground motions were felt from Georgia to New England and along the Appalachians.

-Bay City News contributed to this report.