Minor earthquake is reported near Lost Coast of Northern California

George Avalos, The Mercury News on May 25, 2026

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A minor earthquake was reported on Monday in the Pacific Ocean near the Northern California coastline, a shaker that produced no reports of damage.

The quake’s magnitude was 3.2, according to a post on the U.S. Geological Survey site. It was reported at about 6:53 a.m. PT on Monday.

The earthquake occurred 18 miles west of the Humboldt County community of Petrolia, which by happenstance is the site of the first commercially successful oil well in California, drilled in 1865.

The section of California near the quake is known as the Lost Coast area, a rugged region of the state.

Almost exactly a year ago, a swarm of earthquakes located in the ocean off Humboldt County jolted the same area in May 2025. The largest of those had a reported magnitude of 4.6.

Just over three years ago, in December 2025, a 6.4-magnitude quake struck a similar area, this time just offshore near Eureka. The temblor’s violent shaking knocked some homes off their foundations and triggered widespread power failures.