Minor Earthquake Does Little Damage But Serves as Reminder of Threat

A minor earthquake centered in Walnut Creek shook Berkeley Thursday night, causing little damage but reminding students of the constant threat posed by major fault lines running through the Bay Area.

The magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck about nine miles outside Berkeley at 8:40 p.m. according to the US Geological Survey Web site. Seismologists say earthquakes of this magnitude, which usually cause minimal damage, occur a few times a year.

“I would expect that we get two more this year,” said Tom Brocker, a US Geological Survey seismologist.

US Geological Survey reports have said that there is about a 60 percent chance of a major earthquake hitting the Bay Area in the next thirty years.

UC Berkeley administrators said they hope the small quake will put seismic threats back in students’ minds.

“People in my field pray for small shakers because they are a wake-up call and get people thinking without anybody getting hurt,” said Treacy Malloy, the senior preparedness analyst in the Office of Emergency Preparedness.

The earthquake caused minor damage, including a doorway that shifted in a Foothill-Hillside residence hall. About five students were locked in their suite for three hours and one student was locked out until the door could be fixed by a maintenance staff member, said freshman Katie Bedrosian, who was stuck in her suite.

“It was funny,” she said. “We weren’t stressed out.”

The Berkeley Police Department, UCPD and the Berkeley Fire Department did not receive any complaints of injuries or damage caused by the earthquake, though the Berkeley police did receive calls of concern, said Sgt. Mary Kusmiss.

Many elevators on campus went offline and had to be reset, which was a positive occurrence because it tested the safety devices on the elevators, said Roy Haley, the superintendent of night operations with campus facilities management.

UC Berkeley has taken many steps in the past to prepare for earthquakes including retrofitting buildings and posting a set of instructions online for what to do before, after and during the event of an earthquake, Malloy said.

“We’re working continually on upgrading facilities, although we don’t have to worry about outreach today—plenty of people are calling and talking about the earthquake,” she said.

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