CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council this week will consider purchasing an apartment building as part of project spending that’s required for redevelopment bonds.

The council will meet beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, in the council chambers at Clearlake City Hall, 14050 Olympic Drive.

City Manager Greg Folsom is taking to the council the proposed purchase of an apartment building at 14141 Lakeshore Drive, which will use $855,000 in Series B bond funds.

Folsom’s report explains that the city recently completed a refunding of the 2006 redevelopment bonds and needs to spend that money on projects.

He said Series B redevelopment bonds are restricted to low and moderate income housing-related spending.

The city has $3 million in the funds to spend and after looking at several projects, the Lakeshore Boulevard apartment complex purchase was settled on as the best option, according to Folsom’s report.

The negotiated purchase price is $850,000, plus $5,000 in closing costs. Folsom said the property will generate $70,000 a year in gross rent, which is an 8-percent annual return on investment. “The revenues generated from this property will go into the general fund.”

Thursday’s meeting also includes a public hearing to confirm assessments of administrative penalties for failure to abate public nuisances on properties located at 4054 Lansing Ave., 14170 Konocti St., 14541 Lakeshore Drive, 3634 Redwood St., 6352 James St., 3786 Oak Ave., 15890 20th Ave. and 16216 34th Ave.

In other business, staff is asking the council to consider creating an ad hoc committee for the city’s animal control department as a way to make outreach to the community.

“Creating an animal control ad hoc committee may help in the dissemination of information regarding challenges faced by the animal control unit and current and planned improvements that will help to address many of the concerns of the public,” said Folsom in his report to the council.

Folsom said ad hoc committee members would have input on the design of the new animal control facilities, adoption policies and procedures, as well as other areas.

Also on Thursday’s agenda, staff will give the council an update on the Sulphur fire recovery process, review and consider the submittal of the recognized obligation payments schedule for fiscal year 2018-19 for periods A (July to December) and B (January to June), and staff will seek direction regarding refunding all, or a portion of, assessments collected by the city from a county held tax defaulted sale of property.

Items on the consent agenda – items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote – are warrant registers; minutes of the council meetings on Sept. 28, Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct. 18 and Oct. 26; minutes of the Dec. 13 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting; report on the Clearlake Marketing Committee’s mission statement and goals; and consideration of Resolution No. 2018-05, authorizing submittal of application to Parks and Recreation.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Four dogs are awaiting adoption at Clearlake Animal Control this week.

The dogs, all adults, are Magnolia, Robbie, Special and Tater.

To meet the animals, call Clearlake Animal Control at 707-994-8201 and speak to Marcia at Extension 103 or call Extension 118, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday, or leave a message at any other time.

Below are this week's available pets.

‘Magnolia’

“Magnolia” has a short brown and white coat.

Shelter staff said she loves walks.

‘Robbie’

“Robbie” is a young and happy-go-lucky mix – possibly Labrador Retriever and Rottweiler.

He walks well on a leash and makes friends with other dogs.

Robbie is vaccinated and will be neutered prior to adoption.

‘Special’

“Special” is a year-and-a-half-old Rottweiler and pit bull mix.

He has lived with small dogs, likes children, isn’t a barker and doesn’t appear to both with cats. He’s also sweet.

‘Tater’

“Tater” is a lovable fellow who already is neutered and vaccinated, and is heartworm negative.

Shelter staff said Tater likes being with people and ignores other dogs.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association has announced that free public tours of the historic ranch house at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park will resume in 2018 and will be scheduled after many of the monthly guided nature walks.  

Tours of the ranch house were temporarily suspended after the August 2016 Clayton fire burned onto the park property and the contents of the ranch house were evacuated to keep them safe.  

AMIA reached an agreement with State Parks to do the cleaning of the inside of the house that was necessary before the furnishings and other historic artifacts could be safely returned to the ranch house.  

Now that the ranch house has been cleaned, AMIA has agreed to assume responsibility for the ongoing cleaning of the structure.  

“Resources to clean and maintain the ranch house were not available due to the underfunding of the State Parks system in the California budget,” said AMIA Treasurer Henry Bornstein. “AMIA felt it was vital to step up and take responsibility for the cleaning of the ranch house so that members of the public and students on school field trips can visit the ranch house and learn about the way life was for Lake County ranchers in the 19th and early 20th century.”

For information about ranch house tours, contact AMIA at 707-995-2658 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for Lake County and other parts of Northern California due to an incoming storm system expected to bring snow to higher elevations.

The advisory is in effect through Thursday evening for areas above 2,500 feet, where accumulations of 4 to 6 inches are expected.

Forecasters said a Pacific storm will bring periods of moderate to heavy snow and gusty wind into Friday in Northern California’s higher elevations.

The heaviest snow and strongest wind expected into early Thursday morning and again late Thursday afternoon and evening.

In Lake County, the mountain areas north of Upper Lake are forecast for snow due to the storm.

The rest of Lake County is expected to see rain through Thursday night, with a break during the day on Friday and chances of more rain on Saturday before the rain lets up and conditions clear into the middle of next week, based on the forecast.

Temperatures this week are expected to range from the high 30s at night into the high 50s during the day, with light winds forecast through Friday.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The work to finalize the cleanup of the property destroyed in the Sulphur fire is nearly complete, according to a report given to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Among its items of business on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors approved the continuation of proclamation of a local emergency due to the Sulphur fire.

During the Tuesday morning meeting, Lake County Health Services Department staff were joined by representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers to update the board on the Sulphur fire debris cleanup project.

“All the properties have been cleaned of debris,” said Lake County Environmental Health Director Jesse Kang.

He said 91 properties were cleared of toxic materials and three properties in the city of Clearlake are being abated. The timeline for having those properties abated wasn’t known on Tuesday.

Col. Eric McFadden, South Pacific Division deputy commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers – which is responsible for the debris cleanup for the Sulphur fire – was on hand to give the board a report.

He said more than 55,000 tons of debris and 155 parcels have been cleaned in less than two and a half months, which “is no small feat.”

Of those, 103 parcels have been cleared for rebuilding. McFadden said soil sampling and rescrapes to remove materials are going on as needed.

He called the cleanup a huge milestone, and one which required citizen involvement.

McFadden said the Army Corps is continuing to work with property owners on unresolved issues. He asked that if people still have issues, that they call the agency.

“We’re very proud to be able to help Lake County through this process,” he said.

The board also heard from FEMA that more than $650,000 has been disbursed to survivors, with about 520 applicants seeking the funding.

The Small Business Administration has approved $540,000 in home and biz loans. Regarding temporary housing, they have seven requests for housing and of those five have been housed.

Supervisor Jeff Smith – who lost his Clearlake home in the Sulphur fire – lauded the US Army Corps for its work and said they handled his property well.

While there were some bumps in the road, “To have it all cleaned up the way it is today is unbelievable in a short period of time,” he said.

Health Services Director Denise Pomeroy said staff was reluctant to pull the Sulphur fire’s emergency proclamation until the last three properties are abated.

The board also continued proclamations of declarations of local emergencies due to the Rocky, Jerusalem, Valley and Clayton fires, and the atmospheric river storm.

County staffer Marcy Harrison gave the board the latest information on the Valley Fire Debris Insurance Collection Project.

Harrison said that so far $5,558,000 has been collected for the project, which is collecting payments from property owners who participated in the state-led Valley cleanup and who had insurance coverage for debris removal. The funds are not being kept by the county but will be paid to the state. Those who didn’t have insurance coverage are not required to pay.

Altogether, there have been 376 payments made, and 25 of them since last month, for a total of $405,000, said Harrison.

They also are working to get certification of noncoverage from about 75 property owners, she said.

About 10 property owners have asked for a payment schedule to pay for the debris collection. Harrison said the board approved giving impacted property owners who need more time to pay up to two years.

A main item of business on Tuesday was a public hearing to consider extending Ordinance No. 3070, an urgency ordinance allowing temporary and limited registration of certain commercial cannabis cultivation licenses with the state.

While the board approved the extension to allow cannabis growers to go through the state licensing process while the county’s commercial cannabis ordinance is finalized, supervisors heard from a number of growers who expressed their frustration at a county process they found confusing and conflicting with the state’s process.

In other business on Tuesday, the board approved an amended agreement between the county of Lake and North Coast Opportunities for Valley fire and Sulphur fire survivor stable housing assistance, held a public hearing on a resolution amending the master fee schedule for departmental services rendered by the county, considered the Section 8 Administrative Plan for Fiscal Years 17/18 and 18/19 and approved the civil rights certification for Housing and Urban Development.

The board also held an initial discussion on a proposal to require cell tower lessees to provide reciprocity for all cell carriers utilizing county cell towers in order to enhance the local emergency notification system.

The supervisors reappointed Jim Burton, Denise Loustalot and Heather McFadden to the East Region 3 Town Hall, and Karen Graf to the Lower Lake Cemetery District and appointed two new members, Carla Ritz and Tara Walsh, to the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health board.

The board also approved resolutions establishing alternate office hours for the offices of the Assessor-Recorder from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 and for the Treasurer-Tax Collector for the period from Jan. 1 through June 30.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The state’s latest report on unemployment put Lake County’s jobless number up slightly as the rest of California saw a record low jobless rate.

The Employment Development Department said Lake County’s unemployment rate in December was 5.6 percent, up from a revised 5.3 percent in November 2017, and below the year-ago estimate of 6.7 percent.

Lake County’s November and December unemployment rates in 2017 are the lowest for those months in 27 years of Employment Development Department data.

California’s overall unemployment rate in December was 4.3 percent, down from 4.6 percent in November, as the state’s employers added 52,700 nonfarm payroll jobs. In December 2016, the state’s unemployment rate was 5.2 percent.

The Employment Development Department said California has now gained a total of 2,793,800 jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.

The state’s December jobless rate establishes a new record low in a data series dating back to the beginning of 1976, according to the Employment Development Department.

The unemployment rate is derived from a federal survey of 5,100 California households.  

The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics said the December unemployment rate was unchanged for a third month at 4.1 percent, with the national employers adding 148,000 nonfarm payroll jobs. The December 2016 federal unemployment rate was 4.7 percent.

The Employment Development Department report said nonfarm payroll jobs in California totaled 16,980,400 in December, a net gain of 52,700 jobs from November. This followed a revised gain of 53,700 jobs in November.

Those numbers are based on a survey of 71,000 businesses to measure jobs in the economy that is larger and less variable statistically than the survey used for the unemployment rate. The yearover change, December 2016 to December 2017, shows an increase of 342,500 jobs, up 2.1 percent.

The federal household survey, done with a smaller sample than the survey of employers, showed an increase in the number of employed Californians over the month and the year. It estimated the number of Californians holding jobs in December was 18,548,000, an increase of 39,000 from November, and up 383,000 from the employment total in December of last year, based on the report.

The number of unemployed Californians was 839,000 in December, down by 46,000 over the month, and down by 160,000 compared with December of last year, the report said.

In Lake County, the total farm employment category was up by 3.3 percent in December but down by 0.2 percent for total nonfarm.

The county’s transportation, warehousing and utilities subcategory showed the largest positive growth, 1.9 percent, followed by two categories at 0.7 percent – government and trade, transportation and utilities.

Lake County’s December unemployment rate earned it a No. 34 rating out of the state’s 58 counties.

Rankings for neighboring counties are as follows: Colusa, 17.3 percent, No. 57; Glenn, 6.8 percent, No. 43; Mendocino, 4.2 percent, No. 23; Napa, 3.6 percent, No. 13; Sonoma, 2.8 percent, No. 5; and Yolo, 4.6 percent, No. 29.

In related data, the EDD reported that there were 351,959 people receiving regular Unemployment Insurance benefits during the December survey week, compared with
256,961 in November and 367,944 in December of last year.

At the same time, new claims for Unemployment Insurance were 45,447 in December, compared with 36,177 in November and 52,953 in December of last year.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

LAKEPORT, Calif. –  Now having completed the first month of its homeless warming center, now in its third season in operation, the Lake County Ministerial Association offered an update this week on the services it has offered and the individuals it has helped.

The warming center is located at the Lakeport Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1111 Park Way, Lakeport.

The association said that the warming center, which opened Dec. 18, has so far served 52 individuals, including one family and five minors.  

The warming center, initially scheduled to open on Dec. 1, delayed its opening until it had sufficient funds available. The association said generous individuals and businesses stepped up to provide sufficient funding to open the doors and the center began operation on Dec. 18.  

Fundraising is ongoing to ensure the center can provide consistent operation through March 31, the association reported.

The center is open five days a week, Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. It is limited to 24 guests per night, per the terms of a major use permit provided by the county of Lake.

Through Jan. 15, the association said its highest number of guests on any one night has been 21.  

Of the 52 individuals served so far, several spend every night, others are eventually able to find permanent housing – although the critical shortage of affordable housing in the county makes that a very challenging endeavor, according to the association.

Many arrive cold, hungry, discouraged and out of plans. After a good night’s sleep, a hot shower, a nutritious dinner, and with clean clothes, the way forward, at least temporarily, becomes a little clearer, officials reported. The vast majority of the center’s guests are long-term Lake County residents.

The most unusual request for housing this season came through the LMA Facebook page:  
“I am here with few resources! My five and a half month old Bombay kittens are living in my vehicle with me. Can you house us for a spell?”

Within minutes, staff responded: “We would set up a large crate and welcome the kittens and their owner.” Thankfully, there were only two kittens who, despite the reputation of Bombay cats to cry and meow more than other cats, were extremely well-behaved and quiet. Eventually, they moved north after finding temporary respite at the warming center.

The Lake County Ministerial Association is dependent on, and extremely grateful to, the many generous and hardworking volunteers that supplement the small staff. Each week night, volunteers are covering check in, intake, dinner preparation and service, showers and laundry, as well as providing carry-out bags for breakfast.

Donations may be made through the warming center’s fiscal sponsor, Kelseyville United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 446, Kelseyville, CA 95453.  Please write ‘Warming Center’ on the memo line.  

Volunteer sign ups continue through www.SignupGenius.com.

You can reach staff through email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the warming center’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LMAwarmingcenter.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – As part of its effort to keep children safe from prescription drugs and assist in the fight against accidental misuse and childhood poisonings, the Clearlake Police Department has introduced the Kidcents Safe Medication Disposal Program.

Available immediately is a security cabinet prescription drug drop box located at the Clearlake Police Department at 14050 Olympic Drive.

The preferable drop-off time is Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The drop box is for citizens and law enforcement. It will be used for safe and secure collection of any medications that have expired or are no longer needed.

The police department thanks the Rite Aid Corp. and the American Security Cabinet Co. for their generous contribution of the box and their interest in curbing misuse of drugs in general.

If further instructions are necessary, please contact the department at 707-994-8251, Extension 308, and speak to Nicki Burrell.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Following an intense earthquake that occurred in the Gulf of Alaska, which prompted tsunami watches, advisories and warnings across many state coastlines, FEMA continues to highlight safety tips for those who live in or visit coastal communities.  

While Tuesday’s immediate threat has passed, the situation serves as a reminder to all that there are steps that can be taken now, to prepare for future events.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, tsunamis are one of the most powerful and destructive natural forces, delivering a series of extremely long waves which can cause dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents that can last for several hours or days.

Caused by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or meteorite, tsunamis radiate outward in all directions from the point of origin and can move across entire ocean basins.

If a major earthquake or landslide occurs close to shore, areas are at greater risk if they are less than 25 feet above sea level and within a mile of the shoreline. The first wave in a series could reach the beach in a few minutes, even before a warning is issued.

FEMA encourages citizens to protect themselves and their families by taking the following steps to ensure they are ready in the event of a tsunami:

– Create and practice an evacuation plan with your family. If you live in a tsunami evacuation zone you will find signs in your community. Familiarity may save your life. Be able to follow your escape route at night and during inclement weather.
   
– Create a family communications plan to know how you’ll contact each other and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.
   
– Build an emergency kit to ensure you and your family are prepared to be on your own for at least 72 hours.
   
– If you are a tourist, familiarize yourself with local tsunami evacuation protocols.

Familiarize yourself with tsunami notification information.

Tsunami watch

– A tsunami watch is issued to alert emergency management officials and the public of an event which may later impact the watch area.
– Prepare to take action and stay alert for further information.
      
Tsunami advisory

– A tsunami advisory is issued when a tsunami with the potential to generate strong currents or waves dangerous to those in or very near the water is imminent or expected. The threat may continue for sev­eral hours after initial arrival, but significant inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory.
      
Tsunami warning

– A tsunami warning is issued when a tsunami with the potential to generate widespread inundation is imminent or expected.
– Warnings alert the public that dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful cur­rents is possible and may continue for several hours after initial arrival.
– Move inland, out of the water, off the beach, and away from harbors, marinas, breakwaters, bays and inlets.
– Be alert to and follow instructions from your local emergency officials because they may have more detailed or specific information for your location.
– If you feel a strong earthquake or extended ground rolling take immediate protective actions such as moving inland and/or uphill preferably by foot.
– If told to evacuate, evacuate immediately, taking your animals with you.  If you are in a high-rise building and instructed to shelter in place, stay on floors just above flood water. Stay in hallways or interior rooms.
– Do not return to the coast until local emergency officials indicate it is safe to do so.

The FEMA App (available in English & Spanish) provides National Weather Service alerts, safety tips for what to do before/during/after more than 25 natural & man-made emergencies, emergency kit and family communication plan checklists, and more: www.fema.gov/mobile-app.

For more information about tsunamis and how to prepare visit www.ready.gov/tsunamis.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – A tsunami watch issued early Tuesday for the West Coast in response to a large Alaskan earthquake has been canceled.

The US Tsunami Warning System canceled the West Coast tsunami watch shortly before 4:30 a.m.

The watch had been issued a few hour earlier for the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington following a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in the Gulf of Alaska, as Lake County News has reported.

Also canceled was a tsunami watch for Hawaii and a warning for coastal parts of Alaska and British Columbia.

However, officials said a tsunami had been confirmed and some impacts were expected, with a  tsunami advisory in effect for south Alaska and the Alaskan Peninsula, specifically, the Pacific coasts from Hinchinbrook Entrance to Chignik Bay, Alaska.

Since the 7.9-magnitude quake occurred just after 1:30 a.m., until the tsunami watch was canceled three hours later, the US Geological Survey reported 20 smaller quakes ranging in size from 2.5 to 5.6 magnitude, most of them centered in the Gulf of Alaska.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The addition of two national retailers to the local business community was the cause for a celebration in Clearlake on Monday.

The city of Clearlake and the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce held a combination ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking Monday morning to officially welcome Tractor Supply Co. and Big 5 to the former Ray’s Food Place building on Dam Road.

“It’s really a big day for us,” said City Manager Greg Folsom.

Tractor Supply Co.’s lease has been finalized for a few weeks, but Big 5’s lease became final last week, Folsom said.

Folsom said they’re the first big national retailers to come to Clearlake in quite some time. “I think they’re really a great fit for this community.”

C&K Market, which had owned the supermarket since 1995, closed it at the end of 2016. The Carrington Co., based on Eureka, purchased the building last year and set about looking for national retailers to fill the space, as Lake County News has reported.

Greg Cutler, The Carrington Co.’s regional director of acquisitions, confirmed to Lake County News last week that both Tractor Supply Co. and Big 5 would be located in the renovated building.

Contracting staff at the site on Monday explained that the building is about 42,000 square feet. Of that total, about 22,000 will go to Tractor Supply Co., with Big 5 to fill about 15,000 square feet.

Cutler said The Carrington Co. is still working to finalize who the tenant will be for the third and final space. Estimates for the size of the third space have ranged between 6,500 and 7,000 square feet.

Folsom said the city had worked with The Carrington Co. over the last nine months on a number of site issues in the lead up to signing the two new leases.

On Monday, Folsom said, “We weren’t really sure whether to call this a ribbon cutting or a groundbreaking, so we’re doing both.”

Demolition started about a month ago in order to clear it out, according to the contractor on scene. The contracting crew is anticipating working at the site for six months.

The exterior work began on Monday, with Folsom explaining that the new facade will look entirely different. He said all of the plans have been submitted and approved.

The investment in the project so far is estimated at about $5 million for property purchase and renovation, not counting what the new retailers themselves will bring, according to the contractor staff. Thanks to upgrades, power consumption is expected to be about one-third of what it was for Ray’s.

City council members, planning commissioners, staff and county officials were on hand for the celebration.

District 2 Supervisor Jeff Smith said the stores will generate sales tax to benefit the roads and police, and he credited the Clearlake City Council and city staff for their work to bring new business to the city.

“This is huge for the city of Clearlake,” said Smith. “I think it’s just the start we’ve been waiting for.”

Folsom said the city is excited about the retailers’ investment in the community.

He noted it was a sad day when Ray’s left, but he thanked The Carrington Co. for its work to come to Clearlake and bring two quality new retailers that are perfect for the community, and which will bring jobs and help generate sales tax dollars to benefit city services.

Mayor Bruno Sabatier said of the project, “The excitement is very high.”

He said that the city council had worked hard to find Folsom, who they selected for the city manager’s job in part because of his development background and his ability to bring in businesses.

“We’ve been talking for a long time that we’re turning a corner here in Clearlake. To get national businesses to pay attention to us and want to come here, we’ve turned that corner. We’re making things happen and this is the beginning,” Sabatier said.

Clear Lake Chamber officials also greeted the new members of the business community.

“I can’t believe I’m this excited about new stores in Clearlake. It’s going to be great to see the impact this has on the entire county,” said Clear Lake Chamber President Denise Loustalot.

“When one door closes another one opens, and this is a fantastic new door for the city of Clearlake and the county of Lake,” said Clear Lake Chamber Vice President John Jensen, who also is co-founder and co-publisher of Lake County News.

Folsom said the developer is supposed to have the space ready for the tenant businesses to make their improvements in the spring, with the new stores expected to be open this summer.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.

This story has been updated with information about new quakes and magnitude changes.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Federal officials issued a tsunami watch for California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii following an early morning earthquake off the coast of Alaska that measured 7.9 magnitude on the Richter Scale.

The quake occurred at 1:31 a.m. California time, according to the US Geological Survey.

It was centered 161 miles southeast of Chiniak, Alaska, and 357 miles south of Anchorage, at a depth of about 6 miles, south of the Aleutian trench, the survey said.

Originally the quake was reported as an 8.2-magnitude quake, but downgraded to 7.9 magnitude less than an hour after it occurred.

That main quake was followed within an hour by several smaller by still significant quakes measuring 4.6-magnitude, 3.8, 4.7, 5.0 and 4.6, most of them centered southeast of Kodiak, Alaska, according to the US Geological Survey.

Within minutes of the 7.9-magnitude quake, the US Tsunami Warning System began to issue alerts about the possibility that a tsunami had been generated by the quake.

Those alerts were followed minutes later by the issuance of a tsunami warning for areas in British Columbia, Southeast Alaska, southern Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands.

At the same time, a tsunami watch was issued for the entire coast of California, including San Francisco Bay, along with the coasts of Oregon and Washington, and for the state of Hawaii, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

If a tsunami is generated, the agencies said it could reach Crescent City by 5:20 a.m., Fort Bragg by 5:25 a.m., Monterey by 5:55 a.m., San Francisco by 6:20 a.m., Santa Barbara by 6:35 a.m., Los Angeles by 6:50 a.m. and Oceanside by 7:05 a.m.

By 2:45 a.m., more than 1,400 shake reports had been submitted to the US Geological Survey. Reports came primarily from Alaska but also from Washington, British Columbia and the Yukon.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.