A warning about a massive earthquake off the coast of California has been sent 92 years late, according to BBC. 

A computer error caused the US Geological Survey (USGS) to issue the false alarm about the magnitude 6.8 quake.

The quake actually took place in 1925 when it laid waste to the city of Santa Barbara and caused 13 deaths.

In a statement, the USGS said its computers had "misinterpreted" data causing the alarm to be wrongly issued.

News organisations across the US received the emailed alert about the quake which, if it had been real, would have been one of the largest ever recorded in California.

Few organisations reacted directly to the news because it was dated 29 June 2025 - exactly 100 years after the actual event took place.