There was a mid-sized quake in the Bay Area just a couple of hours ago, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale, on the Calaveras fault just east of San Jose. Apparently some people felt it as far as Marin County and Stockton, but I felt nothing out here in Davis. Here’s the USGS’s report:

Additionally, here’s a cool map, also from the USGS, that shows the likelihood of aftershocks in California (with any luck this will update automatically, but we’ll see):

And for those of you in earthquake country (or anywhere prone to natural disasters), this series of diaries on disaster preparedness by AlphaGeek at daily kos is a must-read, and covers all the bases.

Be safe, people.