A 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit the California coast near Eureka

FERNDALE – A large 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the Northern California coast near Eureka Tuesday morning, causing a violent shake that knocked some homes off their foundations and knocked out power affecting tens of thousands of people.

The quake struck at about 2:34 a.m. Tuesday, with the epicenter reportedly located off the coast of Humboldt County — sending shock waves that were felt as far away as Redding in the east and the Bay Area in the south. State and local officials said late Tuesday morning that the hardest-hit area appeared to be around the town of Rio Del, though damage was reported in several surrounding towns, including in Fortuna and Eureka.

Damage from the Rio del earthquake, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. (Kent Porter/Democratic Press)

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announced that two people, ages 72 and 83, died “as a result of medical emergencies that occurred during and/or immediately after the earthquake.” No further details were disclosed about the place of their death or the circumstances of their death.

The sheriff’s office also said 11 people were injured, with one person fracturing his hip from a fall, and another head injury, though the severity of the others’ injuries was not immediately clear. State officials said earlier Tuesday that many injuries appeared to be minor and moderate in the quake zone.

The quake left 71,850 customers without power, according to Pacific Gas & Electric. County officials said the utility sent them a note saying power could be restored by the end of Tuesday, though PG&E’s statement said it could take days to assess the damage.

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The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami warning or threat after the quake. That’s because the fault moved from one side to the other — mitigating the risk of water displacing in a way that could cause a tsunami, said Cynthia Pridmore of the California Earthquake Service during a news conference.

Cal Fire received about 70 calls for help immediately after the quake struck, said Capt. Tran Piya, a Cal Fire spokesman, moments after roof tiles fell on the floor of the agency’s dispatch center. Callers reported falls, lacerations, bruises, and other injuries from falling objects. The agency has also received two reports of collapsed structures, though crews are still working to determine the extent of the damage to those buildings.

One of the deaths on Tuesday appears to have been caused by a heart attack immediately after the quake, said Shane Wilson, chief of the Rio Del Fire Department.

Wilson added that 15 buildings had been declared uninhabitable, with at least 10 to 15 people likely to have been killed, and that 45 to 50 people were initially displaced and unable to return to their homes. That number could rise to about 150, he said, depending on city and county fire inspectors checking to assess damage to homes, some of which may not be readily apparent. A house was damaged by a fire in a building due to a severe gas line cut that contained a small area inside.

Wilson, who says he experienced the 1992 earthquake in the area, said the north end of town appears to be more affected than the south end, and that this “felt a lot bigger than the 6.4 to me.”

“This one was just a roll on it that was more side to side, not much up and down. In my house, I don’t think we have anything left on the walls.”

“It was a really strong jolt,” said Earl Breezy, a former Walnut Creek resident who moved into his new home in Eureka Monday, hours before the quake struck. “I really thought, ‘Oh my God, I just bought this house, I just moved in and it’s going to collapse on me now. “”

Brizi said the earthquake woke him up. When he tried to get out of his bed, the force of the earthquake kept him grounded. He said the earthquake shook water from his toilet onto his bathroom floor, but he found no immediate damage.

“I walked around with a flashlight and didn’t see anything,” he said. “But I’m only here for less than a day.”

The quake appears to have been centered along the Gorda Plate – a sliver of Earth’s crust found between the North American and Pacific Ocean plates off the coast of California. It’s an area at risk of dangerously strong earthquakes – having experienced about 40 magnitude 6 to 7 tremors over the past century, said Pridmore, of the California Earthquake Service.

The quake was followed by about 80 aftershocks, including a 4.6-magnitude shake in the town of Rio Del, several miles off the coast. The aftershock occurred in Humboldt County five minutes after the 6.4 earthquake. Most of the aftershocks were primarily inland, east of the original earthquake.

Hours after the initial quake, the threat of more aftershocks remains as the crust continues to settle. Pridmore said there is a 13% chance of another earthquake of magnitude 5.0 or greater within the next week.

“People need to be prepared – especially if they are in vulnerable structures – to consider where they are staying,” Pridmore told a news conference.

Humboldt County officials said Rio Del — a town with a population of 3,367, according to the 2021 census — shut off its water supply because of cracked pipes. On Tuesday afternoon, the county’s Office of Emergency Services issued a boiling water advisory for the Rio Dell and the Forest Hills subdivision in the city of Fortuna.

This guidance recommends that residents bring water to a boil for one minute to kill bacteria and other organisms before refrigerating for drinking, or use bottled water, and urges residents to use boiled or bottled water for drinking and food preparation until further notice. Drinking water can be obtained at Rio Dell Fire Hall or 50 West Center St. or Rio Dell or Rohner Park Pavilion, 9 Park St., Fortuna.

The Gold Zone chapter of the American Red Cross has also opened an emergency shelter in the ward, where residents can get out from the cold and grab snacks and drinks or stay overnight.

Sue Long, the former mayor of Fortuna, who retired from the city council on Monday, said the quake had gone on for so long that she found herself thinking, “Whoa, when is this really going to stop?”

“I thought my house was going to come straight out of the foundation,” Long said. “This was scary. I grew up with earthquakes here, and most of the time I didn’t even bother getting out of bed.”

Humboldt County officials said there was “widespread damage” to roads and homes, particularly in the Elle River Valley. Two Ferndale homes were off their foundations, and a number of others had cracks in the walls and hanging rain gutters.

This photo released by Caltrans District 1 shows a road closure on California State Route 211 at Fernbridge, a 1,320-foot (402.3-meter) concrete bridge spanning the Elle River near Fortuna, California, in Humboldt County. The bridge is closed while a safety check is taking place to check for possible seismic damage. Officials say a powerful earthquake hit northern California, cutting power to thousands and damaging roads and homes. No injuries were reported in the 6.4-magnitude earthquake early Tuesday near Ferndale. This is a small community 200 miles northwest of San Francisco and close to the Pacific coast. (Caltrans District 1 via AP)

Food for People, Inc. announced Local authorities announced an emergency food distribution Tuesday afternoon in Eureka for people left without functioning cooking facilities.

The historic 111-year-old Fernbridge Bridge along Highway 211 was closed Tuesday morning after cracking in multiple places during the earthquake, said Tom Mattson, Humboldt County Public Works Director. The bridge, which spans nearly a quarter of a mile over the River Eel, is an important access point for the city of Ferndale. Despite this, emergency crews are still being allowed to cross the bridge and respond to those in need, a Caltrans official said.

By mid-morning Tuesday, Caltrans officials issued a $6 million emergency order to hire a contractor to make repairs as soon as possible. That contractor was expected to be on site later Tuesday to begin work to first shor the bridge for temporary use, then make permanent repairs.

Several other Humboldt County roads were closed—one from a gas leak, the other from cracked pavement. Mattson added that the Fortuna Veterans Hall was red-flagged while its crews were searching it.

Public works crews were still checking 1,200 miles of roads across the county on Tuesday. However, Mattson thought the initial damage surveys would be much worse.

“Overall, as bad as it is, so far it’s not as bad as we expected,” said Mattson, who lives in Fortuna, about 12 miles from the epicenter. It woke me up. He was shaking like crazy. I’ve been here for many years and this is the worst shake I’ve ever felt.

He estimated the tremor lasted at least 30 seconds, “but it felt like forever.”

The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system — which is co-operated by the USGS and covers the West Coast — drew 3 million people about 10 seconds before the shaking began, state official Mark Gilarducci said, warning everyone to hunker down and watch out for falling objects. Director of the Office of Emergency Services. A USGS user map showed that residents reported feeling weak shaking in the Bay Area.

“The system worked as well as we had hoped and we were working on the design,” said Gilarducci.

“We’re glad this wasn’t as big as it could have been and we’ve seen it in the past,” said Gilarducci. “However, we have seen this lead to damage.”

Authors Robert Salonga, Rick Hurd, and George Kelly contributed to this report. Check back later for updates.

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