A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the northern California coast early Tuesday morning. Preliminary data indicated that the tremor occurred at 2:34 a.m. local time. Its epicenter was about 7.5 miles southwest of Ferndale, Calif., 300 miles from San Francisco. The probability of casualties is low, but some damage may have occurred, according to information from the National Geological Survey (USGS).
Notable quake, preliminary info: M 6.4 - 12km WSW of Ferndale, CA https://t.co/PxdJCcDwFH
- USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) December 20, 2022
No tsunami threat
As of early Tuesday morning, there was no tsunami threat stemming from the earthquake, according to the USGS warning system. The Humboldt County Sheriff's Office reaffirmed the information and added that power failures were being experienced in the area. The PowerOutage.US Power Tracker showed that 55,376 people were left without power.
Residents were instructed not to call 911 unless they were experiencing an "immediate emergency."
Good morning Redwood Coast CA. Did you feel the magnitude 6.4 quake about 7.5 miles southwest of Ferndale at 2:34 am? The #ShakeAlert system was activated. See: https://t.co/zwOapjTWaA pic.twitter.com/eMSUAT3inw
- USGS ShakeAlert (@USGS_ShakeAlert) December 20, 2022
Senator Mike McGuire, who represents the county, tweeted that safety assessments would be conducted after the quake and that aftershocks were still continuing.
Humboldt Earthquake: PG&E will begin safety evaluations of both their gas and electrical systems.
Power is out to Approx 50,000 Humboldt customers.
PG&E is currently mobilizing crews to conduct assessments and respond to infrastructure needs.
- Mike McGuire (@ilike_mike) December 20, 2022
