Moderate Quake Rattles San Jose; No Injuries

A moderate earthquake struck near San Jose on Wednesday afternoon, but no damage or injuries were reported.

“We don’t really anticipate any damage,” said Frannie Winslow, director of emergency preparedness for San Jose.

Authorities said the quake was centered about 12 miles south of San Jose near national forest land and measured 4.7 to 4.9 magnitude.

“It was certainly noticeable,” said Winslow, “but not disruptive.”

The quake occurred on the Calaveras Fault, which runs south from the East Bay at Milpitas to Hollister, and was felt throughout the Bay Area as far south as Monterey. It was described as a rolling motion that lasted only a few seconds. The last major quake on that fault, in 1984, was of magnitude 6.2 and caused 27 injuries and $10 million in damage.

Stuart Koyanagi, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Colorado, said the jolt might be followed by some aftershocks in the 3- to 4-point range over the next several days.

He added that scientists do not know enough about earthquakes to say whether the temblor was a foreshock, indicating a much larger jolt to come.

The Loma Prieta earthquake, which devastated parts of the Bay Area in 1989, was centered near Santa Cruz and was preceded by several small temblors. That quake killed 63 people and caused nearly $7 billion in damage.