Northern California earthquake: Newsom declares emergency; injury count rises to 17
Power has been restored for tens of thousands of people, but crews continued to survey damage while a city of more than 3,000 people remained without running water Wednesday afternoon, one day after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook coastal Northern California, resulting in at least two deaths and more than a dozen injuries.
The earthquake struck shortly after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday with an epicenter 8 miles west of the small city of Ferndale, population 1,400, and has been followed by dozens of aftershocks.
About 3,300 homes and businesses were still without power in Humboldt County, PG&E reported at 1:30 p.m. Roughly 72,000 lost power early Tuesday morning.
The two victims who died were residents ages 72 and 83, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said Tuesday afternoon in a news conference at Rio Dell City Hall. Both suffered medical injuries and “did not get timely medical care” due to the earthquake, the sheriff said.
The Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services in a 1 p.m. update Wednesday described the two victims as having preexisting health conditions, “believed to have been exacerbated by the stress of the earthquake.”
The local emergency office on Wednesday increased the injury tally to 17, up from 12 the previous day. Honsal on Tuesday said the reported injuries ranged from minor to moderate.
At least 30 homes and one commercial building “have been determined structurally unsafe,” county officials wrote in Wednesday’s update. The total includes at least 15 homes in Rio Dell, City Manager Kyle Knopp said in Tuesday’s news conference.
Rio Dell, a city of roughly 3,400 people, suffered a water main break and remained without running water as of early Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
The Sheriff’s Office issued a boil-water advisory for Rio Dell and some parts of Fortuna.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday evening proclaimed a state of emergency for Humboldt County. Honsal also declared a local emergency.
“California stands with the people of Humboldt County, and the state has moved quickly to support the emergency response underway with local and tribal partners,” Newsom said in a statement.
Damage assessment was expected to continue through at least midday Wednesday in Rio Dell, Knopp said, and the city was bracing for as many as 150 displaced residents.
The American Red Cross’ Gold Country chapter has opened a shelter at the Fireman’s Pavilion at Rohner Park, 9 Park Way in Fortuna. The organization on Wednesday said it cared for nine people Tuesday night.
Images posted to social media showed widespread damage at homes and businesses in Humboldt County — from toppled shelves and furniture to broken glass and dishware. The Sheriff’s Office in a Tuesday afternoon news release reported “significant structural damages, including gas and water lines” in Rio Dell.
Power restored for thousands, but some still in dark
PG&E on its online outage map as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday showed about 3,300 customers still without power across Humboldt County, down from 14,500 at 7:30 a.m.
The utility company expects to have power restored to “nearly all” customers as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, spokeswoman Megan McFarland said in a tweet.
About 72,000 customers lost power when the temblor first struck, PG&E said, all in Humboldt County.
Bridge damaged by earthquake
Caltrans closed Highway 211’s Fernbridge over the Eel River after authorities found cracks. It remained closed as of Wednesday morning to non-emergency vehicles.
Tony Tavares, director of Caltrans, said the agency has awarded a $6 million grant to contractors to begin immediate shoring up and repair work on the 111-year-old structure.
Tavares, during a Tuesday morning news conference at the Cal OES headquarters in Sacramento County, said those crews were due to arrive Tuesday evening.
Humboldt County emergency officials said there is no estimate available of when Fernbridge would reopen to traffic.
Highways 36, 101 and 299 remain open.
Earthquake struck in region familiar with quakes
Humboldt County, home to some 136,000 residents, is in a region of the state that has a long history of large earthquakes. That includes a magnitude 7.0 quake in 1980 and a 6.8 tremor in 2014, according to the California Earthquake Authority.
The region sits at a triple junction of tectonic activity — the Pacific, North American and Juan de Fuca plates intersect just off the coast.
“It’s a complex area offshore, where we have the Pacific Plate, the North American Plate … and some small pieces of other plates,” Cindy Pridmore, a geologist with the California Geological Survey, said in Tuesday’s Cal OES briefing.
Pridmore said that region has seen more than 40 earthquakes ranging from magnitude 6.0 to magnitude 7.0 in the past.
The U.S. Geological Survey said that as of Wednesday morning more than 130 aftershocks had been recorded in the area, 63 of which were greater than magnitude 2.5.
This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 8:24 AM.
