News out of Nevada

An alert about a sizeable earthquake in western Nevada was erroneously issued on Thursday, Dec. 4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS alert said a magnitude 5.9 earthquake had struck near Dayton, Nevada. The quake was soon deleted from the agency's map, but not before people as far as San Francisco received the alert telling them to take cover.

The USGS later confirmed the false report, saying on X that "There was no M5.9 earthquake near Carson City, NV."

"We are currently looking into why the alerts were issued," the agency added.

Lyon County, where the earthquake was reportedly centered, said there was "no hazard to the public" and asked residents not to call 911.

This is a developing story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Earthquake alert warning many to take cover was false alarm, USGS says

Reporting by Christopher Cann, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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