Overview
- The alert hit at 8:06 a.m. for a magnitude 5.9 near Dayton/Carson City, appeared on USGS feeds, and was deleted within minutes.
- No shaking, damage, or instrumented seismic waves consistent with such a quake were found, according to seismologists and local authorities.
- At least four Nevada sensors detected motion that fed the automated processing, USGS officials said, though the trigger for those readings remains unknown.
- The warning was distributed through the MyShake app and Wireless Emergency Alerts across wide areas including the Bay Area, Sacramento, and the Eastern Sierra.
- USGS and partner labs say a complete false alert is rare or possibly unprecedented, and they are reviewing algorithms, data paths, and noise sources to prevent a repeat.