Sizable 5.0 Quake Off South Oregon Coast Could Bring Aftershocks

Published 10/18/24 at 6:20 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Coos Bay, Oregon) – A sizable magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook off the southern Oregon coast early Thursday evening, two minutes before 6 p.m., according to the USGS. There is a chance of aftershocks, the agency said, but so far this has not materialized.

A 5.0 is large enough to cause damage, but it took place 72 miles northwest of the beaches of Coos Bay.

“According to our forecast, there is a less than 1% chance of one or more aftershocks that are larger than magnitude 5, which can be damaging, within the next week,” USGS said. “There will likely be smaller aftershocks within the next week, with up to 5 magnitude 3 or higher aftershocks. Magnitude 3 and higher aftershocks are large enough to be felt nearby. The number of aftershocks will decrease over time, but a large aftershock can temporarily increase the number of aftershocks.”

More than 30 people have reported feeling the quake, many from the south Oregon coast up through the central and north coast, but some as far inland as Saint Helens and Beaverton. Other responses came from Newport, Rockaway Beach, Coos Bay, Port Orford, North Bend, Eugene and Brookings, among others.

See Oregon, Coast Earthquake Updates - Live Data Oregon, Washington, California, Tsunamis

USGS is reporting it was centered 72 miles from Barview, which may confuse some as that is also a small town on the north Oregon coast. This refers to the Barview just south of Coos Bay.

If any aftershocks happen, it could be awhile before they pop up.

“The USGS estimates the chance of more aftershocks within the next week until October 25, 2024,” USGS said.

Jamie Baird / King Tides

Quakes in this region of the south Oregon coast happen numerous times over the year. They occur on a fault called the Blanco Fracture Line, which to some degree intersects with the greater Cascade faultline but has nothing to do with it. The Blanco area is where two plates are rubbing up against each other and occasionally release pressure in that area.

Contrary to popular belief, these small but regular quakes in this area do not represent a releasing of pressure from the larger faultline. These have nothing to do with the greater Cascade faultline, which will one day unleash a magnitude 9.0 on the region.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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