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Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake Rattles Sierra Nevada

TRUCKEE (CBS13) -- A magnitude-4.8 earthquake was felt by thousands of Northern Californians overnight.

The U.S. Geological Survey says in a computer-generated report that the quake struck at 11:37 p.m. Wednesday and was centered nine miles south-southeast of Whitehawk, about 90 miles northeast of Sacramento and 30 miles west of Reno.

A Nevada County sheriff's dispatcher in Truckee, which is along Interstate 80 about 23 miles from the epicenter, said it was a rolling quake and no damages and no injuries were reported.

The dispatcher, who wouldn't give her name, said there were a few calls from alarmed residents.

The quake could be felt all the way down to the Sacramento region, and several viewers called into the CBS13 newsroom afterward to report it.

"All of a sudden it starts rocking ... and I was thinking I didn't drink tonight!" said Priscilla Montagne of West Sacramento, who was up late working on her Halloween costume when she felt the quake.

State geologists say it's normal to have quakes of that magnitude originating from the Mohawk Valley Fault.

"Last week we had a couple of earthquakes along that fault line, so it's just an active area; we had one that was large enough for a lot of people to feel (Wednesday night)," state geologist John Parrish said.

Parrish said he doesn't expect Wednesday's quake to be a precursor of something bigger to come.

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