An earthquake rattled downtown Cloverdale in Sonoma County Tuesday night, startling local business owners and residents, though no major damage has been reported. The temblor was reported at 7:40 p.m., with a reported 2.5 magnitude aftershock, according to the United States Geological Survey. Ciro Gonzalez, manager of La Tequila, was in the middle of serving patrons when the shaking started. “I was like helping my customers and the ladies coming in,” Gonzalez said. “I say what’s going on … then we went behind the door because we’re scared.” At the nearby Sawmill Saloon, the tremor was brief but forceful. “I just felt a giant jolt. … It was pretty strong,” Jamie Karuza said. For David and Nikki Baxes of The Ranch at Lake Sonoma, the sudden quake sparked fears of a larger seismic event. “I was reading the article on Japan today,” they noted, expressing concern that the quake could be a “precursor to something much larger.” Despite the scare, the downtown area appears unscathed. Local storefronts, including an art gallery and several restaurants, remained intact, bringing good news to the community that there doesn’t appear to be any major damage. City and county officials have continued to monitor the situation, issuing alerts to keep residents updated. Further information was not immediately available. BAY AREA QUAKE CENTRAL You can take steps to plan and prepare for the next big one. Access our Bay Area Quake Tracker, the latest earthquake stories, extensive quake prep checklists, videos and many other disaster preparedness resources all in one place: NBCBAYAREA.COM/QUAKES ...read more read less