By CESAR ANTONIO NUCUM JR

SAN FRANCISCO, California – A magnitude 7 earthquake jolted northern California coast on Thursday, prompting coastal towns to evacuate low-lying areas amid a tsunami warning that was later canceled.

The National Weather Service said that the tsunami warning that extended along 500 miles (800 km) of the California and Oregon coasts was called off about 90 minutes after the earthquake struck at 10:44 a.m. Pacific Time (1:44 p.m. ET/1844 GMT).

The quake, which hit at a shallow depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), was centered about 39 miles (63 km) west of the town of Ferndale, a sparsely populated portion of the northern California coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino Countries to support emergency response to the earthquake.

The Governor was briefed on the earthquake earlier today by state emergency officials.

According to the Governor’s Office, “the Governor has directed state agencies and departments to utilize and employ state personnel, equipment, and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of the Office of Emergency Services and the State Emergency Plan.”

The proclamation additionally authorized state agencies to enter into contracts to arrange for the procurement of materials, goods, and services necessary to quickly assist with the response to and recovery from the impacts of the earthquake, allows fairgrounds and state property to be used for sheltering, and allows for the mobilization of CalGuard to support disaster relief.

“Today’s emergency proclamation will allow more resources to go where they are needed for emergency response to this morning’s earthquake. I am grateful for the robust system our state has in place that worked as intended today and kept people safe and informed,” Governor Newsom said.

The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco is monitoring reports following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake which struck Northern California at 10:44 a.m..

According to reports, the center of the earthquake was about 10 miles southwest of Scotia in Humboldt County. Most residents, including Philippine Consulate personnel, received an Emergency Alert on mobile devices which issued a tsunami warning.

However, the warning was canceled less than an hour after it was issued.

The Philippine Consulate has not received reports of affected Filipinos and Filipino Americans. Nevertheless, it stands ready to provide any necessary assistance.