Two earthquakes rumbled through the Bay Area on Saturday afternoon, shaking the area near the San Francisco Zoo and briefly reminding residents how quickly earthquake now can turn from a phrase into a real jolt. The United States Geological Survey said the quakes struck around 4:40 p.m.
The first quake measured 3.0 magnitude. The second followed at 2.7 magnitude. Both were centered less than 2 miles southwest of the San Francisco Zoo, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
No damages were reported in the immediate aftermath. That is the measure that matters most after a pair of small quakes like these: they were felt, they were close, and they passed without leaving visible harm behind.
The location put the shaking near one of San Francisco’s best-known landmarks, but the numbers point to a limited event rather than a major one. A 3.0 and a 2.7 are enough to get attention, not enough in this case to trigger reported damage.
For now, the Bay Area has another reminder that the ground can move without warning, and on Saturday evening it did so close to the zoo, then settled down again just as quickly.
