Northern California was struck by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Tuesday. The quake, which struck at 2:34 am PST, left two dead and 12 others injured.
Further, it left 72,000 people without power.
According to CNN, the quake’s epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean about 15 miles from the Redwood Coast city of Fortuna, in Humboldt County.
By late Tuesday, California governor Gavin Newsome had declared a state of emergency for the county.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s office confirmed that the two deaths – a 72- and 83-year-old – were the “result of medical emergencies” during and after the quake in which first responders were unable to respond in time.
None of those injured are believed to be in critical condition.
After the initial quake, the area experienced nearly 40 smaller quakes, the most powerful measuring at a magnitude of 4.6, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.
By late Tuesday, Pacific Gas & Electric confirmed that they had restored power to around 40,000 customers. They expect to have fully restored customers’ power by Wednesday.
According to the Associated Press, the small communities of Ferndale, Fortuna and Rio Dell took the brunt of the damage from the quake.
In Rio Dell – which has a population of 3,000 people – at least 15 homes were damaged so severely that they were declared uninhabitable. Eighteen others received moderate damage. So far, at least 30 people in the city have been displaced, but authorities say that number may rise to as high as 1,500 people.
The city’s water system has also been closed down for repairs after it sprang a leak. Water is expected to be restored in two days.
The California Earthquake Authority reports that Humboldt County is a part of California that has long experienced strong earthquakes. In 1980, the county – which today has a population of 136,000 people – was hit by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake; in 1992, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook the area; and in 2014, a magnitude 6.8 struck the county.
With each strong earthquake, residents reportedly fear it will be “the big one,” or the long-predicted 9.0 magnitude earthquake expected to rock California and cause tsunamis and widespread destruction.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Steve Collender
Kayla Koslosky is the former Editor of ChristianHeadlines.com. She has B.A. degrees in English and History and previously wrote for and was the managing editor of the Yellow Jacket newspaper. She has also contributed to IBelieve.com and Crosswalk.com.
