During lunchtime yesterday, many students received an earthquake alert on their phones. The quake started in San Jose at 11:42 a.m.. 

“I couldn’t feel it where I was, but I knew it happened because of all the alerts going off,” freshman Ruby Quintos said. “Many people were getting texts from people in those areas and safety alerts on their phones,” 

The earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1 — the largest earthquake the Bay Area has seen in over 15 years. The earthquake was followed by two aftershocks with magnitudes of 3.1 and 2.2. 

An estimated 95,000 people who signed up for an earthquake warning system received a ShakeAlert message, according to NBC News. The notice came just a couple seconds before the earthquake struck. Around 18,000 reported to have actually felt the quake. 

This earthquake was labeled a “notable quake” by the U.S.G.S on Twitter. So far, everyone has been kept safe and there have been no immediate reports or injuries or death, according to freshman Adania Cooper. 

“I’m glad that everyone was able to remain uninjured,”  Cooper said. “It’s important to stay safe and help people in need, especially during natural disasters like these,”

The quake was felt as far as Monterery, according to the National Weather Service. Many BART and MUNI stations were temporarily closed and trains and buses were paused once the earthquake hit to ensure the safety of passengers. 

“The last time there was an earthquake this large in the Bay Area was in 2007,” Quintos said. “This came as a surprise to everyone in the area as well as our school community.”