Vor News
Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Strikes Northern California
A strong earthquake jolted residents awake in northern California early Tuesday, knocking out power to 70,000 people and damaging some buildings and a roadway. There were two reported injuries.
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near Ferndale, a small town about 210 miles (345 kilometers) northwest of San Francisco and close to the Pacific coast, at 2:34 a.m. The epicenter was located about 10 miles offshore (16 kilometers). There were numerous aftershocks.
The Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services initially tweeted that there had been “widespread damage to roads and homes,” but authorities later indicated that the damage was less than what might be expected given the earthquake’s magnitude.
The region is located on California’s remote, far north coast and is home to redwood forests, mountains, a port, and a state university. Long before the state legalized marijuana, Humboldt County was part of the Emerald Triangle, a three-county region known for its clandestine cannabis production.
Two people were injured, but both were expected to recover, county sheriff’s information specialist Samantha Karges told The Associated Press in an email. According to Brian Ferguson, a California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services spokesperson, no fatalities were immediately reported.
There is “some damage” to buildings and infrastructure, and two hospitals in the area lost power and were running on generators, he said, but the scale of the damage appeared to be “minimal” compared to the magnitude of the quake. He also stated that there was a report of a gas leak.Authorities in Ferndale closed an important bridge due to damage. The state highway department posted a photo of crumpled pavement on Twitter.
State Sen. Mike McGuire, who represents the area, said the small city of Rio Dell, which has a population of only a few thousand people, took the brunt of the damage. McGuire was not in the area at the time of the earthquake, but he said he heard “violent,” sustained shaking.
According to McGuire, there was one confirmed structural fire, a few structures came off their foundations, and the municipal water system was damaged, but it was unclear if any homes or businesses lost access to water.
