Quake is wake-up call for California

Earthquake tossed things about in Calif. wine country

NAPA, CALIF. The heart of Northern California’s wine country was getting back to business Sunday after a strong earthquake damaged buildings and made a mess of the historic downtown.

Residents said they’re taking steps to recover quickly as tourists resumed bicycle tours through this picturesque area northeast of San Francisco, dodging debris and roped-off areas. State officials declared close to 100 homes not habitable.

“We had a major cleanup job, and we had to get a battery from Sacramento, but we got it done, and we’re pumping gas again,” Lou Ishaq said at a service station he owns.

Residents were shaken awake by the magnitude-6.0 earthquake that hit around 3:20 a.m., the worst quake to shake the Bay Area in 25 years. More than 170 people were treated for injuries at a hospital, and one was in critical condition. The quake, which is likely to produce dozens of aftershocks, could result in losses that top $100 million. CLEANUP TIME Hundreds of broken bottles littered the floor of Lucero Olive Oil, but owner David Gadlin said the store would reopen today.

“A lot of downtown business owners will be back up and running,” he said. “There’s been financial hardship, but we’ll get through it. Few people were hurt. That’s what’s important.”

About 15 buildings were too damaged to allow people inside, and many awaited evaluation.

City and country fire crews worked overtime to restore services to residents. Schools were ordered closed today.

Bertha Flores, 40, bought ice to keep the food in her refrigerator cold as her family waited for the power to come back on. She said the earthquake frightened her children, but everyone was OK except for some cuts from shattered glass. “I’m a cleaner. I think there is going to be a lot of work for my company in the next couple of days,” she said.

The quake — which occurred at a depth of less than 7 miles — was felt as far north as Sacramento and as far south as Santa Cruz and was immediately followed by a series of small aftershocks.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, nearly 9 million people were exposed to varying levels of ground shaking.

In Napa, most of the damage was restricted to the older central downtown area.

“We had some lights knocked over, but the water and electricity are fine,” said Bret Cudd, co-partner of the Best Western Plus Inn at the Vines. “Downtown took the damage.”

STATE OF EMERGENCY Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency.

Mike Parness, Napa city manager, said 15 or 16 buildings downtown were “red-tagged” after inspectors found them too dangerous for people to enter.

“We’ve got a lot of workers out checking out homes and buildings,” Parness said.

A 10-foot chunk of brick and concrete was shaken from the corner of the old County Courthouse building. Big pieces of rubble littered the lawn and street in front of the building.

The quake was centered near American Canyon about 6 miles southwest of Napa, the USGS reported. It’s the largest quake to hit the Napa Valley region near San Francisco since the Loma Prieta temblor in 1989.

A child injured by a falling fireplace was airlifted to the University of California-Davis hospital for surgery.

There were about 60 water main leaks.

PHONE NETWORKS BUCKLE After the initial shock wore off, an almost festive air prevailed in the city as tourists on rented bicycles rode through closed streets. So many people sent photos from their mobile phones that cellular systems were overwhelmed.

At the Ranch Market, a grocery store in Napa, owner Beth Housley said she and her husband, Arik, were determined to reopen today. “We had employees and family friends come and help clean up,” she said. “It should be safe for customers.”

Newer homes and buildings away from the center of the city suffered less damage, but many were without power.

That meant some residents who rely on well water were unable to get it. John Furtado headed into Napa to look for water. “But we’re doing fine overall. It’s just some minor damage. A couple bottles of wine broke,” he said.

Kelly Huston, a deputy director with the California Office of Emergency Services, said there were no reports of fatalities, but dozens were taken to hospitals.

Walt Mickens, CEO for Napa’s Queen of the Valley Medical Center, said the area’s main hospital had treated 172 individuals since the earthquake hit. He couldn’t determine whether all the injuries were earthquake-related, though typically, the emergency room handles around 85 a day. Thirteen patients were admitted, and one was in critical condition, Mickens said.

“Now it appears we’re treating people (injured while) cleaning up,” hospital spokeswoman Vanessa deGier said Sunday.

MOBILE HOME FIRE Six structure fires were reported, including one that destroyed four mobile homes, Napa Fire Chief John Callanan said.

At least 64,000 people lost power. In Napa, 20,786 homes and businesses lost power, according to Pacific Gas & Electric, the largest power provider in the area. Other hard-hit areas include Saint Helena, where nearly 4,300 customers were without power; Santa Rosa, where 4,500 customers lost power; and Sonoma, where 3,900 customers lost power.

Napa Police Capt. Steve Potter said the area’s 911 system was briefly overwhelmed by calls shortly after the quake, but the system quickly came back.

There were no reported highway blockages, though Huston said there was a report of a buckled offramp on state Highway 72 at Sonoma.

The historic Napa Valley Courthouse lost a portion of its roof, and police blocked off sections of downtown to keep crowds from the debris. Two other historical buildings — the Sam Kee Laundry and the Goodman Library — were damaged.

Douglas Edwards, 27, a Napa resident, said the earthquake woke him from a sound sleep.

“It was shaking so hard I was barely able to get myself and my daughter out,” he said. “When I stood up, the floor moved so much, I fell back down again. I ran outside, and you could see the transformers exploding in the sky. It was just flash, flash, flash.”

The USGS said the quake is likely to produce 30 to 70 aftershocks of magnitude 3 to 5 within the next week. The probability of a strong and possibly damaging aftershock with a magnitude of 5 or greater in the next week is 54%, the USGS said.