11 hurt, 70,000 lose power after 6.4-magnitude quake
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake rudely shook Humboldt County residents in northern California out of bed early on Tuesday morning, knocking out power for roughly 71,850 people, injuring at least 11 and leaving two dead in its wake.
The earthquake, which began at 2:34 a.m. 7.5 miles from Ferndale, caused widespread damage to roads — including to Fernbridge, which was completely closed as of Tuesday — with two confirmed deaths and 11 injuries, according to the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services website. The deaths were caused by medical emergencies during or shortly after the earthquake.
“We know that there is one structure fire and we also know that there were a couple of homes that may have been knocked off their foundation, or partially collapsed,” Mark Ghilarducci, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said at a news conference. “We’re going through this damage assessment to get a sense of that as we speak.”
As the county recovers from this earthquake, there is a 13% chance of a magnitude earthquake of 5 and above coming in the next week, said Cynthia Pridmore, a senior engineering geologist with the California Geological Survey
“People do need to be prepared, especially if they’re in weakened structures, to be mindful of where they’re staying,” Pridmore said.
The earthquake saw up to 80 aftershocks, the largest measuring around a 4.6 magnitude in Rio Dell. Water main breaks were reported in Fortuna.
The reported injuries were considered minor to moderate and were primarily caused by non-structural damage, meaning falling household objects. A tsunami is not expected.
Rio Dell is without water, electricity, internet and gas.
“The quake did major damage to our water system,” Debra Garnes, mayor of Rio Dell, said. “One of the tanks … the fitting sheared right at the tank, and so that one just drained. The other ones because of leaks drained like five feet in 30 minutes.”
Rio Dell residents who need water can go to the city’s fire department, which is handing out cases of bottled water. Residents whose homes have been damaged beyond the point of habitability should visit the Red Cross stations at Firemen’s Pavilion in Fortuna.
The city had to turn off the water in order to preserve what was left in the event the fire department needs it for firefighting. Rio Dell is one of Humboldt County’s more rural towns, meaning phone service can be unreliable and residents can struggle to communicate remotely with loved ones when the internet goes down, Garnes said.