Residents in northern Nevada woke up to confusion this morning, although not because of any shaking.
Around 8:06 a.m., the U.S. Geological Survey sent out an alert reporting a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in the region. Phones lit up and people immediately began checking with neighbors to see if anything had actually happened.
Very quickly, one thing became clear. No one seems to have felt a quake at all.
Local stations say no viewers have reported any shaking, and there have been no firsthand accounts on social media either.
Then the alert disappeared. The USGS removed the earthquake report without any correction or explanation, leaving many residents wondering whether the alert was real or simply a technical malfunction.
USGS alert deleted minutes after Dayton earthquake reported{ }
In a message from Prof. Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, she confirmed that the earthquake did not happen. She explained that the warning originated from the USGS ShakeAlert system, which relies heavily on seismic stations in California. According to Rowe, the USGS is working to figure out what went wrong and will be able to explain the false alert once their review is complete.
Rowe said she expects to release an official statement soon.
Lyon County released a statement echoing the earthquake did not happen, there is no danger to the community and residents are urged not to call 911.
