SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook parts of Northern California early Tuesday, jolting people awake, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and thousands were without power afterward.
No injuries were immediately reported following the earthquake, which occurred about 2:34 a.m. near Ferndale, a small community in Humboldt County.
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It was followed by at least a dozen aftershocks.
Approximately 71,000 customers are currently without power in Humboldt County, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks outages across the country. That’s 71% of the customers in the county.
Emergency officials say “widespread damages” have been reported to roads and homes throughout Humboldt County. PG&E says it has initiated its emergency response plan and crews are responding to gas and electric hazards.
Residents in the area have been posting video showing the damage to their homes. There are reports of gas leaks in the area and at least one bridge has a large crack through it.
Out of an abundance of caution, Fernbridge — connecting Ferndale — will be be closed for further inspection, according to Sen. Mike McGuire. CalTrans will remain on scene to assess the structure.
People in the Bay Area received alerts from the MyShake App, warning of the shaking. There were no reports of people in the Bay Area feeling the earthquake.
PG&E released the following statement: “The safety of our customers, employees, contractors and the communities we serve is PG&E’s top priority. PG&E is urging its customers to be safe in the aftermath of a magnitude 6.1 earthquake and aftershocks impacting the Humboldt area. The company has initiated its emergency response plan and crews are responding to gas and electric hazards. PG&E is assessing its gas and electric system for any damage and doing everything possible to minimize power and gas outages. Our assessment could take several days. We have approximately 68k customers without power. Customers are urged to use extreme caution around heavily damaged buildings and be prepared for further aftershocks that can create more destruction and hazards. PG&E would like customers to report damaged electric and gas lines from a safe location to the utility’s toll-free line at 1-800-743-5002.”
Stay with ABC7 News for updates on this developing story.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Click here for the latest stories and videos about earthquakes here in the Bay Area and around the world, and click here for more information on disaster preparedness.
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Terry Paul
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