4.3 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes San Francisco Bay Area Causes Minor Damage

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area early on September 22, with its epicenter located just east-southeast of Berkeley, California. The tremor woke many residents, with over 24,000 reports of feeling the quake, and was felt as far as Salinas and Chico, about 100 to 150 miles away. While the quake caused minor damage such as broken windows and merchandise falling off shelves in Berkeley stores, there were no reported injuries or significant structural damage in San Francisco. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) operated trains at reduced speeds to complete safety inspections, warning commuters of possible delays. The earthquake occurred near the Hayward fault line, a region closely monitored due to its history of large quakes, but this event released significantly less energy than historic earthquakes like the 1868 Hayward or 1906 San Francisco quakes. Authorities continue to assess the situation, reassuring the public that no tsunami threat exists and emphasizing the relatively low impact of this seismic event.