Alert sent for Nevada earthquake that did not happen

December 4, 2025

The United States Geological Survey mistakenly issued an alert on Thursday morning warning of a magnitude 5. 9 earthquake near Carson City, Nevada, which turned out to be completely false. The erroneous warning, generated by the USGS's automatic earthquake detection system, reached people as far as the San Francisco Bay Area and triggered automatic safety alerts telling residents to take cover.

Who is affected

Residents of Carson City, Nevada and surrounding areas
People in the San Francisco Bay Area (nearly 200 miles away)
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Multiple law enforcement agencies in cities and counties near the reported epicenter

What action is being taken

An investigation is under way to determine what caused the malfunction

Why it matters

This incident is significant because it represents the first time the USGS has issued a completely false earthquake notification, undermining public trust in the emergency alert system. A magnitude 5.9 earthquake would typically cause noticeable shaking and property damage, so the false alarm could have caused unnecessary panic and prompted people to take protective actions when no danger existed. The malfunction raises concerns about the reliability of automatic earthquake detection systems that people depend on for safety during genuine seismic events.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC