Rio Del: Thousands were left without power after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck California's extreme north coast early Tuesday. The earthquake damaged homes, roads and water systems.

The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office reported that at least 11 people were injured and two more were killed due to "medical emergencies" that occurred during or just after the earthquake.

The earthquake was centered about 215 miles (350 km) north of San Francisco offshore in Humboldt County, a largely rural area known for its redwood forests, local seafood, lumber industry, and dairy farms.

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It struck at 2:30 a.m. PST and was followed by about 80 aftershocks.
The region is also known for frequent earthquakes, although the most recent earthquake has caused more damage than others in recent years.

The region is also known for frequent earthquakes, although the most recent earthquake has caused more damage than others in recent years.

Tuesday's earthquake caused two buildings to collapse and a structure fire that was quickly extinguished (CalFire), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

According to Tran Bea, a spokeswoman for the department, dispatchers responded to 70 emergency calls following the quake, including a report of a trapped person who needed to be rescued.

Few details were available about the quake's casualties, but local media reports citing the sheriff's office said two survivors were among those with a broken hip and one with a head injury.

Four significant cracks were found in a bridge that crosses the Eel River in Ferndale, a charming town known for its Victorian storefronts and houses decorated in the gingerbread style. The California Highway Patrol said the foundation of the road there was susceptible to sliding.

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Officials reported a possible gas line rupture and four additional road closures in Humboldt County as a result of the earthquake damage. The Highway Patrol reported that a portion of the road was submerging.

According to state emergency services officials, Ferndale and the nearby towns of Fortuna and Rio Del were hardest hit, with damage including water main breaks and about two dozen homes being "red-tagged" because they were not safe. were too unstable to live on. ,

"The shaking was really intense," said Daniel Holsapple, a 33-year-old resident of nearby Arcata, who recalled being woken at the end of the night by the motion of the house and an emergency alert from his cellphone. Then he grabbed his pet cat and ran outside.

"Couldn't see what was happening. It was just the usual low rumbling sound and the whole house felt like the foundation was shaking" he said.

Before the quake struck, Janet Calderon, 32, who lives in the nearby town of Eureka, noticed that two of her cats seemed agitated and that her second flooded bedroom was "really rough."
"Everything fell on my desk," she said.

California's earthquake early warning system appeared to be working, with electronic alerts sent to the mobile devices of some 3 million residents of Northern California 10 seconds before the first tremors were felt, according to state emergency chief Mark Gilarducci.

While California has frequent earthquakes that cause noticeable shaking, magnitude 6.4 tremors are less frequent but still potentially dangerous because they have the potential to partially collapse buildings or lift them from their foundations. There is power.

According to Cynthia Pridmore, a senior geologist with the California Geological Survey, Tuesday's quake occurred in a seismically active area where several tectonic plates meet about 2 miles apart on the ocean floor, an area that has seen 6.0-7.0 magnitude earthquakes nearly 40 years ago. Caused earthquakes. border in the last century.

Therefore, earthquakes of this size are common in the region, she said at a news conference.
Shaking from Tuesday's quake, which occurred at a relatively shallow depth of 11.1 miles (17.9 km), was felt as far away as the San Francisco Bay Area, according to the US Geological Survey. The strongest aftershock measured 4.6.

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According to the electric grid monitoring website PowerOutage.us, 79,000 homes and businesses were without power in Ferndale and surrounding Humboldt County immediately after the earthquake.

PG&E employees were inspecting the utility's gas and electric system for any damage and potential hazards, according to company spokeswoman Carly Hernandez.