EUREKA, CALIFORNIA — A strong earthquake was felt widely across Northern California on Thursday, and some residents along its coast were urged to evacuate inland because of the threat of a possible tsunami. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. local time west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County near the Oregon border, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by smaller aftershocks. The National Weather Service urged residents along the Northern California coastline, including in the San Francisco Bay Area, to move inland because of the tsunami threat. A wave could reach the San Francisco coastline as early as 12:10 p.m. local time, according to Rachel Kennedy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office that covers the Bay Area. Kennedy said forecasters are waiting to get a report on how high potential waves could be. She called it “a pretty dangerous situation.” The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, known as BART, has stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland. The San Francisco Zoo’s visitors have been evacuated as a…Read more