Earthquakes’ sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. They can happen anywhere, but they’re most common in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico and Washington, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

A series of small earthquakes hit near a Bay Area city on Thursday, with the most recent being a magnitude 3.7, according to the US Geological Survey.

Multiple earthquakes shook California's Bay Area Thursday. They were recorded near Hayward, around 20 miles southeast of Oakland, the USGS reported.