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USGS: 5.1 magnitude earthquake recorded off Oregon Coast

The National Weather Service in Portland tweeted there's no tsunami danger for Oregon or Washington.
Credit: KGW
A 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Southern Oregon west of Bandon on Saturday, Feb. 20.

BANDON, Ore. — The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a 5.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Southern Oregon on Saturday.

According to USGS, the quake occurred about 175 miles (281 kilometers) west of Bandon at a depth of about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) at 1:15 p.m. 

A 4.9 magnitude quake was recorded in the same area minutes later, at 1:22 p.m. 

Shortly after, the National Weather Service in Portland tweeted, "There is NO tsunami danger for the Oregon and Washington coasts."

A much smaller 2.5 magnitude earthquake was detected in Northern California around the time of the larger quakes. No detectable shaking was reported in the Pacific Northwest.

On March 11, an earthquake warning system called ShakeAlert will be launching in Oregon. The system will be a potentially life-saving tool for people who live on the West Coast when a major earthquake, such as “The Big One,” strikes.

ShakeAlert is already active in California and is expected to be launched in Washington in May.

RELATED: Earthquake early warning system coming to Oregon in March

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