Northern California earthquake near Ferndale, Eureka: Outages reported

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A preliminary magnitude 6.4 earthquake rocked Northern California early Tuesday morning, jolting residents awake, damaging infrastructure, and cutting off power to thousands of homes and businesses.

It was not immediately known if anyone was injured, but officials reported “widespread damages” to buildings and roads around Humboldt County, which is more than 250 miles north of San Francisco.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 2:34 a.m. PT in Pacific Ocean waters about 7.5 miles west of Ferndale at a depth of just over 16 miles. The city is about 19 miles south of Eureka, near the California and Oregon state line.

The USGS warned of “many” aftershock earthquakes coming in the wake of the 6.4 magnitude shake, including some that could reach magnitude 4. More than two dozen aftershocks were recorded on the USGS website, most of which were less than magnitude 4.

Some gas leaks were also reported.

As of early Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service’s tsunami warning system reported there was no tsunami threat associated with the quake, which was the strongest earthquake the area has seen in years.

“Check gas and water lines for damages or leaks. Exercise caution if traveling,” the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services tweeted just after 6:30 a.m. PT. 

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‘Widespread damages to roads and homes’

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announced reports of damage to homes and roads throughout the county, which has a population of about 136,000 people.

As of about 7:40 a.m. PT, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. reported tens of thousands of customers without power in the area. In Humboldt County alone, where Ferndale is located, more than 71,000 people were in the dark.

A photo posted online by the California Department of Transportation showed State Route 211 which connects Ferndale with U.S. 101 buckled from the quake. The Ferndale Fire Department reported other roads were also closed in the area due to damage including Blue Slide Road, which runs parallel to U.S. 101, a major north – south highway, stretching from Los Angeles to Washington state.

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