2 dead after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake, 11 injured, and tens of thousands without electricity – Times Standard

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A 6.4-magnitude earthquake shook residents of Humboldt County out of bed early Tuesday morning, knocking out power to nearly 71,850 people, injuring at least 11 and killing two in its wake.

The quake, which started at 2:34 a.m. 7.5 miles from Ferndale, caused widespread damage to roads — including Fernbridge, which was completely closed through Tuesday — with two deaths and 11 injured, according to the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services. . website. The deaths resulted from medical emergencies during or shortly after the earthquake.

A storefront in Eureka shattered windows after the big tremor Tuesday morning. (Kim Bergl / Contributed)

Mark Gilarducci, director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said at a news conference. “We’re going through this damage assessment to understand that as we speak.”

As the county recovers from this earthquake, there is a 13% chance of a magnitude 5 or greater earthquake in the next week, said Cynthia Pridmore, an engineering geologist with the California Geological Survey.

“People need to be prepared, especially if they are in vulnerable structures, to be aware of where they are staying,” Pridmore said.

The earthquake had as many as 80 aftershocks, the largest with a magnitude of 4.6 in Rio del Rio. Major water breaks have been reported in Fortuna.

CalTrans closed State Route 211 at Fernbridge in Ferndale, Calif., after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake off the coast early Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. (Photo courtesy of CalTrans District 1)

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 del Rio without water, electricity, internet and gas.

“The earthquake has caused significant damage to our water system,” said Debra Garnes, Mayor of Rio Del. “One of the tanks…had been sectioned right at the tank, and so the tank just drained. The others because of leaks drained like five feet in 30 minutes.”

Rio Del residents who need water can go to the city’s fire department, which delivers cases of bottled water. Residents whose homes have been damaged beyond the point of habitation should visit Red Cross stations at the Fortuna Firefighters’ Ward.

The city had to turn off the water to preserve what was left in case the fire department needed it to fight fires. Rio Del is one of the most rural cities in Humboldt County, which means that phone service can be unreliable and residents can struggle to remotely communicate with loved ones when the internet goes down.

Police tape surrounds damaged storefronts in Eureka Tuesday morning. (Kim Bergl / Contributed)

Rio Dell has ordered portable toilets to be placed in front of the city hall, fire station and elementary school.

One of the deaths reported after the quake was a resident of Rio del Garnes, Garnes said.

“There were 60 service calls in 30 minutes between water, gas and plumbing leaks,” Garnes said.

The city hopes to have gas and electricity restored by Tuesday evening after they shut off the gas due to multiple 911 calls reporting a gas leak.

Crews worked into the early hours of Tuesday morning on Fifth Street in Eureka after the 6.4-magnitude quake. (Ruth Schneider / Times Standard)

Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said his agency is currently surveying damage to major structures and bridges across Humboldt County, but Fernbridge was the only one identified. He issued an emergency order of $6 million to pay for a contractor and repair the bridge.

The last time an earthquake of this magnitude shook Humboldt County was on December 20, 2021, exactly one year ago. The previous earthquake had a magnitude of 6.2 and damaged buildings in the province, smashing many shop windows.

Ghilarducci encouraged residents to download the MyShake app, which alerts residents of upcoming earthquakes.

“We live in earthquake country. This is another example of the fact that earthquakes can happen at any time, without warning.” It’s really important that we, as Californians, have a plan, a family plan, and have some supplies in case we lose power. “

In Eureka, where the power was out, incoming Mayor Kim Bergell said she saw many broken windows in storefronts around town, which were covered with plywood.

Pacific Gas and Electric is working with the state to restore power, but there is no set timeline for when power will be restored. Customers may report damaged electric and gas lines to PG&E’s toll-free line at 1-800-743-5002. Their outage map can be viewed at https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/outagecenter/.

The US Post Office window works in Henderson Center on Tuesday in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck in the early hours. (Kim Bergl / Contributed)

Residents may call the City of Eureka to report damage to their buildings at 707-441-4155 and an inspector will respond in order to perform a safety assessment.

Both Eureka and Fortuna have set up charging stations for residents to charge communications technology and deliver medical equipment. Fortuna Station is located in Rohner Park Pavilion, and Eureka Station is located in the Eureka Municipal Auditorium.

Residents can report earthquake damage to the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services at https://bit.ly/3FHOpQc.

Several roads were closed due to the damage, including Monument Road southwest of Rio Del and Tompkins Hill Road at Hockton and Fernbridge Road.

Residents can visit http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/ to read updated state highway closures.

More information can be found at https://humboldtgov.org/2383/Current-Emergencies.

“The main thing is just to make sure that the people you love and care about are safe, even the people you probably don’t care about,” Bergel said. “Keep in mind that everyone is really exhausted. It’s a big deal, and letting that grace and courtesy get through this together.”

The Jackson Guilfoil can be reached at 707-441-0526.

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