Humboldt County Earthquake Update: 2 dead; 11 injured, extensive damage

FERNDALE — Two seniors were killed, 12 others were injured and businesses and homes were damaged when a 6.4-magnitude earthquake followed by nearly 80 aftershocks rocked the coast of Humboldt County on Tuesday.

According to the US Geological Survey, the initial quake occurred at 2:34 a.m. and was followed in quick-fire succession by dozens of aftershocks with magnitudes of 4.6 to 2.5. Tens of thousands were left without electricity in the aftermath of the first quake.

Humboldt County Earthquake 6.4, Dec. 20, 2022. USGS

Humboldt County officials confirmed the casualties Tuesday afternoon.

“11 people have been reported injured,” a post on the county’s website said. “In addition, two people died as a result of medical emergencies that occurred during and/or immediately after the earthquake.”

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said in an afternoon press conference — briefly interrupted by contradictory aftershocks — that the two people who died were 83 and 72 years old, respectively, and died because they were unable to get timely care for “medical emergencies” during the quake. or immediately after.

Damage to a bridge on State Route 211 in Fernbridge after an earthquake early Tuesday morning. Caltrans District 1

State officials said the injuries – which rose to 12 from 11 – ranged from minor to moderate, mostly from falling objects in homes and businesses.

At least one building is on fire and at least two buildings have partially collapsed, said Mark Gilarducci, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

The Eel River Valley was the hardest hit including Fortuna and Rio del.

“Damage assessments are currently ongoing, with significant structural damage, including gas and water lines, noted in the Rio Del community and moderate property damage throughout the Eel River Valley,” officials said.

The sheriff’s office has issued a boiling water warning for Rio Dell and parts of Fortuna. The notice indicated that the warning would be in effect for up to 48 hours.

Humboldt County Earthquake 6.4 (blue dot) and aftershocks, Dec. 20, 2022. USGS

Shops in downtown Fortuna were damaged, with power outages and broken glass littering the sidewalks.

Brian Ferguson said there was “some damage” to buildings and infrastructure, and two hospitals in the area had lost electricity and were running on generators, but the extent of the damage seemed “minimal” compared to the strength of the quake. Spokesman for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

Clip Downtown Fortuna just got hit by the earthquake. pic.twitter.com/pCdlhQqd12

— Gold Leaf Media (@goldleafmedia) December 20, 2022

DESTROYING EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE: Residents of Fortuna, Calif., wake up to scenes of broken storefronts and damaged merchandise after the #6.4-magnitude earthquake Tuesday morning. pic.twitter.com/utA97IUUiJ

— Austin Castro (@AustinCastroTV) December 20, 2022

“I felt like my roof was going off,” Cassondra Stoner said. When I woke up, the only thing I could think of was, ‘Bring on the awful kids. “

When the ground stopped moving, the Stoner family was doing just fine — even a daughter who grew up through the paddle. But when she showed up to work at Dollar General, she found tiles had fallen from the ceiling, shelves turned over and the contents of the discount store scattered on the floor.

Geologists say the epicenter was about two miles offshore in the Pacific Ocean near the seismically active triple junction of the Cascadia subduction zone (megathrust) — which stretches from Vancouver Island to northern California. The San Andreas and Mendocino faults also extend into the area. A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck there in 1992.

“We’re at this moment in geological time where the most dynamic areas of California happen to be Humboldt County and the adjacent marine area,” said Lori Dengler, professor emeritus of geology at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Humboldt County Earthquake Press Conference 6.4 22:26

Officials said that historically there have been 40 earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 6 to 7.

The city of Eureka, which has a population of 26,000, said on its website that its call center was receiving a large number of calls, but that “no significant damage was reported” immediately.

The California Highway Patrol reported that the Fairbridge Bridge, a 1,320-foot concrete bridge that crosses the Eel River, has cracks in four places. The bridge, one of the main roads into Ferndale, was closed to traffic, and Caltrans manager Tony Tavares said repairs to the bridge would begin immediately.

“I issued a $6 million Emergency Director’s Order to the District 1 manager in that region to get a contractor on board as quickly as possible,” Tavares said. “They are currently mobilizing their equipment, resources and personnel to be physically on site by later in the day and begin the reconstruction work on this bridge…Most likely we will install this bridge and get it ready and open to the public and traffic and then begin the final repairs to the bridge.”

Fernbridge earthquake damage: Damage to Fernbridge after the magnitude 6.2 earthquake in Humboldt County. The main road into Ferndale is currently closed by CalTrans as inspection crews inspect additional damage. pic.twitter.com/4BPOSvZrN9

— Austin Castro (@AustinCastroTV) December 20, 2022

In the aftermath of the quake, more than 70,000 customers were reported without power in the surrounding area, according to Pacific Gas & Electric.

Gilarducci said it could take a couple of days before all power is restored. He said that the vibration caused the closure of one of the main utility transmission lines.

The earthquake left many residents with major clean-ups in their homes.

Humboldt County earthquake devastated Diana McIntosh

The sheriff’s office announced that the earthquakes did not trigger a tsunami warning, but only urged local residents to call 911 if necessary because their emergency lines are flooded.

Caroline Titus posted a video of the damage to her living room adding – “That was huge. The power is now out in #ferndaleca. The house is a mess.”

That was great. The force is now out in #ferndaleca. The house is a mess. #EarthQuick pic.twitter.com/YEmcv1Urhp

– Caroline Titus (@caroline95536) December 20, 2022

Local resident Paul Bognacki also posted pictures of the damage to his house, adding – “The big earthquake in Humboldt a while ago. We have some things broken but no major structural damage to the house. The power went out.”

A big earthquake occurred in #Humboldt a while ago. We have some broken things but no major structural damage to the house. Although the power is off. #Earthquake pic.twitter.com/abvtv4O7VU

— Paul Bugnacki, LCSW (@PBugnacki_LCSW) December 20, 2022

Local realtor Annalize von Borstel posted – “Lost power and potted plant in #humboldt #earthquake Customers are terrified and power is still out but we are all fine.”

Hundreds have reported feeling the early morning tremor from Redding to San Francisco to Medford, Oregon, the USGS said.

Meanwhile, Dan Karmel writes – “I didn’t feel Willow Creek (I’m in Eureka) but I did feel the others and a separate aftershock. Power here for sure, just a few broken/scattered items.”

Karen Burgess’ home was also attacked.

She said: “There was minor damage and chaos in McKinleyville. Some broken drinking glasses and a water heater leaked. The dresser drawers were opened and the contents of the open shelves spilled onto the floor.”

Sari Suid was also shaken, as it posted – “Arcata – great earthquake – rolling waves. A mirror shattered on the floor.”

The quake came just days after a small 3.6-magnitude quake struck the San Francisco Bay Area, waking thousands of people up before 4 a.m. Saturday and causing minor damage.

The epicenter of this earthquake was in El Cerrito, about 16 miles (25 kilometers) drive from downtown San Francisco.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos