Northern California earthquake: Magnitude 5.5 quake rocks restaurant

Two powerful earthquakes have rocked Northern California in the last 24 hours, causing one resort to visibly shake violently.

A 5.5 quake was reported on Thursday afternoon and originated in Lake Almanor, in Plumas County.

Nearby Plumas Pines Resort was left trashed following the quake and had to close due to the damage.

CCTV footage captured the moment the quake hit the area, with the whole building appearing to move around as items are thrown across the room. 

On Friday morning, the area experienced another quake which registered 5.2 on the Richter scale.

Staff forced to brace as powerful 5.5 earthquake hit Plumas Pines Resort 

The two quakes erupted from the same Lake in Northern California, which has been the center of recent tremors

Pictures taken after the quake show a large amount of plates, liquor bottles and food strewn across the floors. 

The resort said in a social media post on Thursday morning: 'Due to the recent earthquake and the loss and damage our restaurant acquired we will be closed tonight and tomorrow morning. 

'We will reassess for the rest of our weekend after we are able to clean up and really determine what was lost! Thank you for your patience and we hope to be serving you soon!'

The resort said that the second quake had caused a mess again but was not as bad as Thursday. 

According to the USGS, the epicenter of Friday morning’s quake was around four miles from the earth’s surface and so far almost 1,000 people have reported feeling the tremor. 

Following the quake yesterday, the kitchen area of the restaurant was left in disarray 

Nobody suffered any injuries at the resort, but they had to close to clean up after the earthquake

Pictures shared on their social media page show the extent of the damage, with dozens of liquor bottles smashed 

Locals helped the staff in the resort clean up the restaurant, hoping to have it back to normal for the weekend

On Thursday, KCRA Sacramento was on air presenting a weather segment when the earthquake struck in the afternoon.

Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan halted his report after the quake started, which he at first said he could not feel. 

Anchor Liza Gonzales says: 'That's an earthquake. The lights are moving around. It is unusual for us to feel that that strongly in here.

'That was extra shaking, the whole set was shaking.'

Pictured: Meteorologist Mark Finan looks to the ceiling in the studio after the earthquake hit on Thursday afternoon

Finan then confirms that it was an earthquake after searching the United States Geological Survey.

It comes after a leading expert said that the Bay Area in California is overdue for a large earthquake that could devastate the area.

Labeled the 'Big One' by wary seismologists, the catastrophic event is poised to strike within the next seven years, according to a report from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The event could spell the end for residents of scenic Alameda, an island in the San Francisco Bay. 

Speaking to a Bay Area paper, the director of earthquake sciences for USGS Christine Goulet said the city is at risk of collapsing in on itself when a quake does eventually strike.

In recent years, earthquakes colloquially categorized as 'Big Ones' have somehow an exceedingly rare occurrence even in the Golden State, with the last striking LA in 1994.

That event, known as the 1994 Northridge earthquake, lasted less than 20 seconds, but wrought millions of dollars of damage and killed 57 people.