Friday August 10 4:56 PM ET
[center][b][size=6][red]5.5 Magnitute Quake Jolts Calif.[/b][/size=6][/red][/center]

PORTOLA, Calif. (AP) - A magnitude-5.5 earthquake shook part of Northern California on Friday, authorities said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The quake hit at 1:18 p.m., said Pat Jorgenson of the U.S. Geological Survey (news - web sites) in Menlo Park. It was centered near Portola in Plumas County, but was felt 50 miles away in Reno, Nev., and in Sacramento.

Leslie Tigan, the Portola city clerk, said the quake rattled the city hall but produced no damage.

``It was like nothing I have ever felt before, but I am from southern New Jersey, she said.

James Gruwell, 24, said he was in his room on the 23rd floor of the Circus Circus hotel casino in Reno when the earthquake hit.

``I literally just checked in 10 minutes ago,'' he said. ``The whole building was swaying. Everything on the walls was rattling. I called the front desk and asked them if their building always shakes like this.''

The same area had a 4.8 magnitude earthquake in 1997, and 4.1 quakes in 1997 and 1995

I hope no one was hurt..

Doubtful, a 5.5 is really minor. I lived in CA for years, if you have a chandalier, it doesnt even start to move until you get to 5.0

I've spen my whole life surounded by active fault lines. San Andreas, Haward, etc....


That little thing wound even wake me from a nap.

I slept through loma prieta(sp?)

5.5 is actially a relativly strong shaker. The last quake I actually felt was a little 3.something on the hayward fault when I was a kid. Its'epicenter was 3 miles from my house and it knoked the clock off the wall. The clock beaned me and woke me up.

I guess it would depend on how close you are to the epicenter....

Personally I think quakes are cool. I've lived in CA most all my life and kind of look forward to them [:)]. During the big Loma Prieta quake I had the good fortune to be living 3 miles from the epicenter (as the crow flys). A totally awesome experience. Absolutely no damage at my home as it was built on solid bedrock, unlike those poor rich doctors and lawyers in the Marina district of SF. Spent the next few hours listening to the radio about all the damage elsewhere. A 5.5 is no big deal but still enough to make check out the USGS earthquake reporting website for details.

I felt it in Sacramento, just shook the bed a little bit, nothing like that last one up in Seattle, I was in bed for that one too, scared the crap out of me.

5.5 that is something like a big dump truck driving by.  You can feel it, but not much.  Anything less than 4.5-5.0 to me is impercible unless you're right on top of it.

I haven't felt a thing and I'm in Oakland.

I was and am in Fremont.... I have been awake all day(although reading my post you couldn't tell), and felt nothing. I am totally blown away when I hear stuff like they felt it in Reno....

How come they felt it and I mised it? I was in my computer chair when the quake hit,,,, I thin I should have noticed. Nobody at work knew we had a quake? My geography is as good as my spelling but I bet I'm closer to Portola than Reno is.

I didn't feel it either. I am too far away.

Earthquakes can tear up your entire life in seconds. Been there, done that.  

shit. shit. shit.  Why couldn't it be good news like CA breaking off & sinking into the pacific[X]

I felt it in Reno.  My whole house was shaking.

5.5....If your are within 50 miles you will DEFINITELY FEEL IT!!!
I have lived in So. Cal.  all my life (50+ years)  Never  been closer that 30 Mi from all the 5+ quakes and they all about knocked me on my 200lb butt.  Felt 3.5's 50 away.
Remember, the magnitude increases exponentially or logarithmically.  The difference between a 4 and a 5 is tremendous.

I am in Santa Cruz, CA on business and would like to fell an earthquake! That would be a pretty cool end to a crappy trip. Being from TX, we don't have many earthquakes, hehe. By the way, in case anyone is interested, SAnta Cruz is one weird place.

[RED][SIZE=6][B]WRONG![/RED][/SIZE=6][/B]

[B][BLUE][SIZE=6]IT WAS A 5.56[/SIZE=6][/BLUE][/B][SMOKE]

I felt it in Wellington, NV.I woke from a nap, thought it was a truck driving past my house. My wife called from the kennel where she works and said the animals were flipped out.

EXACTLY. It doesn't get interesting till you get past 6.0 at least to CA natives. Hell I sleep thru quakes.

NOw this hurrcane crap we have in TX that another story. That scares the bejeebers out of me.

I just knew someone was going to go there...