Magnitude 4.3 earthquake widely felt around San Francisco Bay Area

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.4 was centered east of San Ramon, Calif. and felt around the East Bay on July 16, 2019. An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.4 was centered east of San Ramon, Calif. and felt around the East Bay on July 16, 2019. Photo: USGS Photo: USGS Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close Magnitude 4.3 earthquake widely felt around San Francisco Bay Area 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake rattled the San Francisco Bay Area Tuesday afternoon, and residents around the region widely reported feeling light shaking.

The quake struck at 1:11 p.m. with a depth of 7.46 miles and an epicenter in the East Bay, about 7.5 miles east of Blackhawk and 17 miles southeast of Concord, according to the United States Geological Survey.

"I felt it," says Aimee Grove who lives in the East Bay. "But it just felt like a single jolt, as if something had slammed against the side of our house."

Farther afield in the South Bay, Daniel Michalek noticed the shaking in Santa Clara. "It started as a soft jolt but continued with a rolling/swaying feeling for several seconds," Michalek wrote to SFGATE.

A magnitude 3.5 aftershock followed at 1:28 p.m. in the same region.

The first earthquake was given a preliminary magnitude of 4.4, then downgraded to a 4.2 before the USGS officially reported the temblor as a 4.3.

The USGS reports the 4.3 temblor occurred on the Greenville Fault. An earthquake of that magnitude could produce shaking around the epicenter but damage to structures would not be expected.

Over the last seven days, there have been three other earthquakes above magnitude 3.0 within 100 miles of today's event. A magnitude 3.5 quake struck near Morgan Hill, roughly 60 miles south of today's tremors, on Monday at 1:46 p.m.

USGS said that they received "Did You Feel It?" reports corresponding to the 4.2-magnitude earthquake from as far as Fresno and Roseville.

Check back for more reporting as this story develops.

Feel the quake? Send your reactions to SFGATE news producer Amy Graff at agraff@sfgate.com.

Not sure if you're prepared for the next major earthquake? Read The Chronicle Survival Guide for steps on how to get ready for it.