Outdated Taiwan Earthquake Video Falsely Shared as Footage of the California Earthquake
The Claim
Shocking Footage of California's 7.0 Mega Quake Captured on Cam! Mother Earth just showed off her raw power with a 7.0 shaker in Cali, and folks, it's all on camera! From swimming pools doing the wave to dogs sensing the rumble before humans, this earthquake video is the talk of the town.
News posted on
Emerging story
A video went viral on X claiming to show how California’s earthquake affected local homes.
An X user shared the video saying, “Shocking Footage of California's 7.0 Mega Quake Captured on Cam! Mother Earth just showed off her raw power with a 7.0 shaker in Cali, and folks, it's all on camera! From swimming pools doing the wave to dogs sensing the rumble before humans, this earthquake video is the talk of the town.”
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral claim and found it to be misleading. The video shows an earthquake in Taiwan and has no relation to the recent California earthquake.
An Outdated Video of an Earthquake in Taiwan
Through reverse image search, Misbar’s team found that the video shows an earthquake in Taiwan, not California.
A Taiwanese TikTok user named Sam Trang uploaded the video to his account in April 2024, captioning it, “Taipei Earthquake.”
Misbar’s team contacted Sam Trang, who confirmed that he originally filmed the clip in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, on Apr. 3, 2024.
A 7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Struck Taiwan
The earthquake shown in the viral video shows a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the mountainous county of Hualien, about 150km (93 miles) from Taipei, Taiwan, on Apr. 3, 2024. The powerful earthquake damaged homes, businesses, schools, and communication and transportation infrastructure.
At least 18 people died, and more than 1,100 were injured, while the National Land Management Agency reported 848 cases of damaged structures.
The earthquake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, ranging from small to more than 6.0 in size.
The area is no stranger to powerful earthquakes as it lies near the junction of two tectonic plates.
California Earthquake Prompted a Tsunami Warning
A magnitude-7.0 temblor ruptured west of Ferndale, California on Thursday. The earthquake led authorities to issue a tsunami warning for the coast from Davenport, California, to the border between Douglas and Lane counties in Oregon.
Residents of the coastal areas of California and Oregon also received a tsunami warning, however, it was canceled before noon local time. "No tsunami danger presently exists for this area,” the National Tsunami Warning Center wrote on X referring to the coastal areas in California and Oregon, including San Francisco.
Accordingly, the evacuation order issued for these parts of the city was subsequently lifted after the tsunami warning was canceled. City officials told the residents that it is safe to return to the area.
However, the warning remained in effect from Davenport, California, to the Douglas/Lane County line in Oregon, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.
Read More
Outdated Looting Video Falsely Linked to Recent California Earthquake
Old Video of Syrian Drills Resurfaces Amid Clashes with Opposition Factions
