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Seismologist says tidal surge of up to one metre has been recorded in North Canterbury region of the New Zealand's South Island * USGS says quake magnitude revised to 7.8* Authorities issue tsunami alert, say waves could be 5 metres* Thousands flee homes to seek higher ground* Reports emerging of injuries, so far no reports of deaths* In 2011, a 6.3 quake killed 185 people in Christchurch (Adds authorities warning first tsunami waves may not be biggest)By Charlotte GreenfieldWELLINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck central New Zealand just after midnight, the U.S. Geological Survey said, causing...

Earthquake of magnitude 7.4 strikes near Christchurch in New Zealand, hit by deadly tremor in 2011, US experts say.

A priest in Italy has refused to backtrack from his claim that the country’s recent earthquakes were punishment for civil unions between gay couples despite criticism from the Vatican’s top cleric. Fr Giovanni Cavalcoli made his controversial statement last week, the day Italy was struck by a 6.6 magnitude earthquake, the worst to hit the country in more than three decades. He told radio station Radio Maria the quake was “divine punishment” for “the offence to the family and the dignity of marriage, in particular through civil unions”. Italy passed legislation to allow civil unions between same sex couples in...

Heard/felt a healthy thump then rattled for 30+ seconds.

Bill Clinton and Carlos Slim Isabel Vincent reports today in the New York Post that the Clinton Foundation set up a for-profit entity called the Haiti Development Fund that took in $20 million from “investors” Carlos Slim and Frank Giustra but that it is a mystery what happened to most of the money. The Fund was supposed to provide capital to Haitian entrepreneurs in the wake of the 2010 earthquake, but the Post could only find evidence of one project that received funding. The Fund was run by a Jean Marc Villain, who appears to be an American citizen...

Just felt an earthquake or tremor here in north central OK.... but it felt more like a shockwave.... very odd. Anyone else feel that? or any info on it?

Dear friends, Around 7:40 AM, a powerful earthquake struck close to Norcia. The monks are all safe, but our hearts go immediately to those affected, and the priests of the monastery are searching for any who may need the Last Rites. The Basilica of St. Benedict, the historic church built atop the birthplace of St. Benedict, was flattened by this most recent quake. May this image serve to illustrate the power of this earthquake, and the urgency we monks feel to seek out those who need the Sacraments on this difficult day for Italy. Relying, as ever, on your prayers...

The centuries-old Basilica of St. Benedict in Norcia — already damaged in a spate of strong quakes in central Italy — was "destroyed" early Sunday in the latest and greatest of tremors, its monks said. The monastery was among dozens of building in towns scattered throughout the mountainous region to collapse during the 6.6-magnitude quake that struck around 7:40 a.m., according to reports. There was no immediate reports of fatalities, but officials with Italy’s civil protection agency said there were injuries following the seismic activity. First responders rushed to piles of rubble searching for trapped victims after the tremor woke...

The basilica of San Benedetto had withstood the tests of time since the end of the 14th century. But on Sunday, the church that paid homage to the patron saint of Europe, Saint Benedict, was reduced to a heap of rubble after a 6.6-magnitude earthquake ripped through the town of Norcia where it stood in the main square. The basilica was considered one of the region’s most spiritually important sites. Now, only its medieval facade still stands, and centuries of work and other renovations to the interior, including a complete restructuring that was completed at the end of the 18th...

Stephanie Kirchgaessner and Angela Giuffrida report that while it is clear that structures sustained major damage, it is too early to tell whether the latest disaster caused major injuries or fatalities: “It all came down, now there is no more town,” said the mayor of Arquata del Tronto, Aleandro Petrucci. But, he added, there were already “red zones” in place that had been abandoned after the previous quakes. “The few people who remained have gone out to the streets, and are embracing. Now we’re going around to see what happened,” he said. Cesare Spuri, the head of Civil Protection in...

Two strong earthquakes have hit central Italy, damaging buildings and sending scared residents into the streets. A 5.5-magnitude quake struck at 1910 local time (1710 GMT) near Visso in Macerata province, officials said. It was followed two hours later by a 6.1 magnitude tremor in the same area. Several people were hurt, but there were no immediate reports of deaths. The quakes come two months after a powerful earthquake struck slightly to the south, killing 298 people. The 6.2 magnitude quake, on 24 August, toppled buildings in Amatrice and villages in the mountainous region around the town, which is just...

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake has rattled a broad swath of central Italy, including Rome, one hour after a 5.4 magnitude quake hit the region. The quake was felt in the capital, shaking centuries-old palazzi in its historic centre. There were scattered accounts of pieces of buildings falling but no immediate reports of injuries.

Review Status REVIEWED Magnitude 5.5 mww Depth 10.0 km Time 2016-10-26 17:10:37.710 (UTC)

If the Hayward and Rodgers Creek faults broke simultaneously along their combined 118 miles, they could produce a magnitude 7.4 quake, said scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey. Such shaking would be more than five times stronger than the 1989 Loma Prieta quake on the San Andreas Fault that killed over 60 people and collapsed part of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. There hasn't been a major quake on the Hayward Fault in more than 140 years.... "This should be a reminder that folks in the Bay Area need to be prepared for a major earthquake," USGS geophysicist Janet Watt...

The probability of a magnitude-7 earthquake in Southern California briefly increased as much as 50-fold earlier this week, but has since been dropping back to normal, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and other quake experts. What changed things was a cluster of small quakes that began Monday near the southern end of the San Andreas fault. Seismologists believe that quake activity on one fault can lead to increased stresses on another, said Rob Graves, research seismologist based in the Pasadena USGS office. The cluster was epicentered beneath the Salton Sea, near Bombay Beach, within a handful of miles of...

A swarm of earthquakes that rattled the Salton Sea area earlier this week has increased the probability of a major quake hitting Southern California. The California Office of Emergency Services (OES) issued an earthquake advisory warning residents and officials in Ventura, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Kern and Imperial counties that there was a greater possibility of a major earthquake through Oct. 4. ... The swarm occurred in a region known as the Brawley seismic zone, which is located near a fault network that connects the southernmost end of the San Andreas fault with the Imperial fault....

A series of quakes under the Salton Sea may be a signal that the San Andreas Fault is on the verge of buckling. For the next few days, the risk of a major earthquake along the fault is as high as 1 in 100. Which, holy crap. The United States Geological Survey has been tracking a series of earthquakes near Bombay Beach, California. This “earthquake swarm” is happening under the Salton Sea, and over 140 events have been recorded since Monday September 26. The quakes range from 1.4 to 4.3 in magnitude, and are occurring at depths between 2.5 to...

This Just In approximately a half hour ago ... about 8PM our time 12 hour difference, 8 AM Saturday morning there

Our top story is a historic natural disaster in a country that's not too prone to earthquakes. Magnitude 5.1 and 5.8 tremors jolted Korea's southeastern region. This is the strongest quake to rattle the nation's inland since the country started collecting data in 1978. Our Hwang Ho-jun is in Gyeongju the epicenter of the quake he 's live on the phone with us. Hojun what have we got so far? Daniel. We have so far felt two tremors here in Gyeongju. The initial 5.1 foreshock was detected at 7:44 p.m., to be followed by a very strong earthquake measuring 5.8...

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty...