Northern California earthquake buckles road, leaves thousands without power
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake rocked the Northern California coast early Tuesday morning, causing gas leaks, shattering glass, leaving thousands without power, one buckled highway and jittery residents feeling a wave of aftershocks. The US Geological Survey reported the strong quake struck at 2:34 a.m. Tuesday, about 7.5 miles west-southwest of Ferndale, a small city in Humboldt County, roughly 200 miles northwest of San Francisco and close to the Pacific coast.
FERNDALE, Calif. - A powerful earthquake that rocked Humboldt County early Tuesday, left two people dead and several others injured.
A highway buckled, and a bridge was damaged. Shampoo bottles toppled, and so did a coffee maker. Glass was strewn and storefronts were damaged.
This was just some of the fallout from a magnitude 6.4 earthquake Tuesday morning near Ferndale, a small community about 210 miles northwest of San Francisco in Humboldt County. The cities of Rio Dell and Fortuna were affected, too.
While the sheriff acknowledged this "wasn't the big one," there was some structural damage throughout the region, along with at least two injuries.
Here are some dramatic photos of the quake.
MORE: Northern California earthquake buckles road, shatters glass, leaves thousands without power
State Route 211 buckled Ferndale, Calif. following a 6.4 quake. Dec. 20, 2022
The earth buckled in Ferndale, Calif. following a 6.4 quake. Dec. 20, 2022
Objects fall off the shelves in Ferndale, Calif. following a 6.4 quake. Dec. 20, 2022
Objects are strewn on the floor in Fortuna, Calif. where there was a 6.4 earthquake on Dec. 20, 2022. Photo: Brooks Jarosz
RIO DELL, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 20: A home is yellow tagged as earthquake damage is seen on Wildwood Avenue in Rio Dell, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the coastline near Eureka early this morning. (Jane Tyska/Di (Getty Images)
A porch got knocked off its foundation in Ferndale, Calif. following a quake. Photographer: Dan Franz with AIO Filmz
Objects tumble off the shelf at Root 1 Nursery in Ferndale, Calif. Dec. 20, 2022 The Fernbridge, built in 1911, is closed to traffic while Caltrans assesses damage from an earthquake. Photographer: Dan Franz with AIO Filmz
Objects tumble off the shelf at Root 1 Nursery in Ferndale, Calif. Dec. 20, 2022 The Fernbridge, built in 1911, is closed to traffic while Caltrans assesses damage from an earthquake. Photographer: Dan Franz with AIO Filmz
Crews assess the The Fernbridge, built in 1911, following a 6.4 earthquake in Humboldt County. Dec. 20, 2022 Photographer: Dan Franz with AIO Filmz
The Fernbridge, built in 1911, is closed to traffic while Caltrans assesses damage from an earthquake. Dec. 20, 2022. Photographer: Dan Franz with AIO Filmz
A picture frame shattered in Fortuna, Humboldt County. Dec. 20, 2022 Photo: Melissa Sanderson of Fortuna
Earthquake damage from inside a home on Painter Street in Rio Dell, the city was badly struck by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022.
Earthquake damage from inside a home on Painter Street in Rio Dell, the city was badly struck by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022.
Earthquake damage from inside a home on Painter Street in Rio Dell, the city was badly struck by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022.
There was plenty of shattered glass in Fortuna, Humboldt County. Dec. 20, 2022 Photo: Melissa Sanderson of Fortuna
A board goes up to protect glass in Fortuna, Humboldt County. Dec. 20, 2022 Photo: Melissa Sanderson of Fortuna
An earthquake damages storefronts in Fortuna, Humboldt County. Dec. 20, 2022 Photo: Melissa Sanderson of Fortuna
An earthquake damages storefronts in Fortuna, Humboldt County. Dec. 20, 2022 Photo: Melissa Sanderson of Fortuna
A crack in the highway in Humboldt County. Photo: Supervisor Rex Bohn Dec. 20, 2022
Humbolt County Supervisor Rex Bohn showed the crack in state Route Route 211. Dec. 20, 2022
The underside of an overpass crumbled in a major quake. Photo: Humboldt County Supervisor Rex Bohn
A chimney crumbled at its based in Fortuna, Humboldt County after an earthquake. Photo: Melissa Sanderson
Ambulances were out in Humboldt County following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. Photo: Austin Castro Northcoast News
Fernbridge buckled after the earthquake. Photo: Austin Castro Northcoast News
Damage to Fernbridge following 6.4 earthquake on Dec. 20, 2022. Photo: Austin Castro Northcoast News
Buckled State Route 211 in Humboldt County.
Collapsed porch on a house in Rio Dell on Wildwood Ave and Dixie St. Photo: Redheaded Blackbelt's photographer Lauren Johnson.
Shampoo bottles fall off the shelf. Photo: Redheaded Blackbelt's photographer Lauren Johnson.
