A 4.7-magnitude earthquake, in blue, was followed by dozens of small quakes on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Image courtesy of the US Geological Survey. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A moderate earthquake that occurred on New Year’s evening shook residents across Lake County and triggered dozens of smaller quakes in the hours afterward.
The United States Geological Survey said the 4.7-magnitude quake occurred at 6:34 p.m. Wednesday.
USGS mapping showed that it occurred two and a half miles north northwest of Cobb, along Bottle Rock Road, at a depth of six tenths of a mile.
During the rest of the evening, more than 30 smaller quakes occurred within Lake County and another 50 in neighboring Sonoma County, according to USGS records.
Across Lake County, residents reported feeling the powerful main quake, which they variously described as intense and rolling, with items falling off walls and shelves, and furniture moving.
There were also those who said it was the strongest quake they’ve felt in Lake County.
Longtime Kelseyville resident Ellen Karnowski was among that latter group.
Karnowski said her daughter, who lives in the Kelseyville Riviera, felt her couch shake but the quake was even stronger in the main part of Kelseyville.
“This was the strongest we have felt since living here since 1987. Our cabinets and walls were shaking and I was about to drop and roll as we are recommended to do but was so disoriented I couldn't really move,” Karnowski said.
Reports from Lake County classified the quake as “moderate,” but the strongest rating for the quake came from Sacramento, which rated the quake’s strength as “strong.”
The last major shaker to be felt around the region and beyond occurred on the morning of Dec. 5, when a 7.0-magnitude quake offshore of Humboldt County, as Lake County News has reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at elarson@lakeconews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
Author Elizabeth Larson
A 4.7-magnitude earthquake, in blue, was followed by dozens of small quakes on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. Image courtesy of the US Geological Survey. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A moderate earthquake that occurred on New Year’s evening shook residents across Lake County and triggered dozens of smaller quakes in the hours afterward.
The United States Geological Survey said the 4.7-magnitude quake occurred at 6:34 p.m. Wednesday.
USGS mapping showed that it occurred two and a half miles north northwest of Cobb, along Bottle Rock Road, at a depth of six tenths of a mile.
During the rest of the evening, more than 30 smaller quakes occurred within Lake County and another 50 in neighboring Sonoma County, according to USGS records.
Across Lake County, residents reported feeling the powerful main quake, which they variously described as intense and rolling, with items falling off walls and shelves, and furniture moving.
There were also those who said it was the strongest quake they’ve felt in Lake County.
Longtime Kelseyville resident Ellen Karnowski was among that latter group.
Karnowski said her daughter, who lives in the Kelseyville Riviera, felt her couch shake but the quake was even stronger in the main part of Kelseyville.
“This was the strongest we have felt since living here since 1987. Our cabinets and walls were shaking and I was about to drop and roll as we are recommended to do but was so disoriented I couldn't really move,” Karnowski said.
Reports from Lake County classified the quake as “moderate,” but the strongest rating for the quake came from Sacramento, which rated the quake’s strength as “strong.”
The last major shaker to be felt around the region and beyond occurred on the morning of Dec. 5, when a 7.0-magnitude quake offshore of Humboldt County, as Lake County News has reported.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.
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