A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the US state of California in early December 2024, briefly prompting a tsunami warning and official calls for costal residents to flee to higher ground. However, a video circulating online supposedly showing the temblor was filmed in Taiwan, not the United States.
“Shocking Footage of California’s 7.0 Mega Quake Captured on Cam!” says a December 5, 2024 X post.
“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.”
The roughly 50-second clip shows the effects of an apparent earthquake seen from an apartment, with furniture and lamps falling to the ground.
The same clip has circulated alongside claims it was filmed in California elsewhere on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube and Rumble — including in Spanish, Arabic and Turkish.
Screenshot from X taken December 6, 2024
Seismologists at the US Geological Survey said the quake occurred off the coast of Ferndale (archived here), leading to tremors felt across the region, including in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters,” a message sent by the National Weather Service to smartphone users warned, urging residents to move to higher ground.
“A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you,” the warning said, before it was withdrawn around midday.
However, the video posted online was not filmed in California.
A reverse image search using video keyframes reveals the clip was first posted on TikTok on April 6, 2024 (archived here). The caption of the post indicates it was recorded three days earlier at 1458 GMT in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei.
“I was on the 15th floor and the building swaying is something I am still trying to work through; it is as if I have sea legs,” the TikTok post says.
Taiwan suffered a 7.4 magnitude earthquake on April 3 that killed at least 18 people and left more than 1,100 injured. The quake’s damage centered around eastern Hualien City, but shocks were felt across the island.
Sam Trang, who shot the footage, posted again days later showing Shifen Waterfall in the north of the island. In a message to AFP, Trang, who lives near San Francisco, confirmed he filmed the video in April during Taiwan’s earthquake, not in California.
AFP has debunked other false claims about the December 2024 earthquake in California.