A strong earthquake struck Humboldt County in northern California just after 2:30 a.m. Pacific Time, one year to the day that a similarly large quake shook the same area. More than a dozen aftershocks followed the initial quake.
The U.S. Geological survey said the quake, measuring 6.4 magnitude, hit about 7 miles southwest of Ferndale. A 6.2 quake hit the same county on Dec. 20, 2021. Several reports of gas leaks, fires and structural damage were reported, but there were no reports of injuries. Wendy Pickett Monolias, who lives in Eureka, near the epicenter, told the Missoulian website that the shaking woke her up. “Once the shaking finally stopped, we got our flashlights and phones and looked around. Everything was in shambles,” she said. “Things you wouldn't expect to have fallen over or broken did. An entire cabinet in the bathroom fell over and broke apart.”
The California Highway Patrol warned of a bridge in Ferndale cracking in four places as a result of the quake. The bridge has been shut down and authorities are at the scene conducting safety inspections. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office also warned of “widespread damages to roads and homes.”
Road Closure: State Route 211 at Fernbridge, Humboldt County is CLOSED. The bridge is closed while we conduct safety inspections due to possible seismic damage.
Early reports suggested some homes suffered structural damage, and at least 70,000 people in Humboldt County were without power immediately after the earthquake was reported.
Caroline Titus, the editor and publisher of The Ferndale Enterprise, tweeted a photo of the aftermath in her 140-year-old Victorian home, which she wrote sustained some structural damage.
Other residents reported internal damage such as shelves falling and broken windows. A Twitter user following the California fire scanner tweeted that there were reports of a collapse on Pacific Avenue in Rio Dell with a person potentially unaccounted for.
There were no immediate tsunami warnings, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but several people reported smaller aftershocks and the smell of gas leaks. A number of people also reported being alerted by the USGS Shake Alert app, which sends notifications when seismic activity occurs.
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