Two dead and 11 injured in the powerful earthquake in California
The intensity of the earthquake is known to the northern region of the Golden State, but it lasted for many minutes and caused severe consequences. The mayor of the town of Rio del: “This is the strongest earthquake I have felt”
The powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake that hit Humboldt County in Northern California killed two people and injured at least 11.
Both victims died as a result of a medical emergency during or following the earthquake that was felt at 2:34 a.m. Tuesday. This was announced by the district’s emergency services office.
According to the Los Angeles Times, one of the dead was in Rio del, the area that sustained most of the earthquake damage, and he suffered breathing difficulties during the aftershock. Both victims went into cardiac arrest, were taken to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Reporting for @kcranews in #RioDell after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit #HumboldtCounty early this morning. Officials say this was the hardest hit community. At least 15 homes have been red tagged, and around 30 people are displaced as of tonight. pic.twitter.com/GuZKetPPVG
— Brittany Hope (@BrittanyKCRA) December 21, 2022
Northern California is used to earthquakes when the region has high seismic activity, but this quake felt particularly violent to residents. The service centers have received many reports of damages, and they are still trying to assess them.
The force of the noise shattered windows, dropped objects and caused damage to a historic bridge in a small settlement south of Eureka.
“It was the strongest earthquake I’ve ever felt,” Rio del Mayor Debra Garnes said. “It was a long earthquake, so it was not only significant in its magnitude of 6.4, but also because of its length.”
An #earthquake hit Northern California an hour ago. pic.twitter.com/DDpB8Jib12
— Lynn Schore (@LynnSchore) December 20, 2022
As mentioned, the earthquake was reported at 2:34 a.m., when the epicenter was right off the coast, about 7.5 miles southwest of Ferndale. This is according to details provided by the Geological Survey of the United States. Despite the epicenter and intensity of the quake, authorities did not issue a tsunami warning, but the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office advised residents to prepare for aftershocks.
Ferndale, Fortuna and Rio del are the areas hardest hit by the quake. Residents shared photos on social media of the destroyed homes, smashed furniture, and scary stories about the strength of the quake.
The noise caused several houses to fall off their foundations, caused a fire in at least one structure, and damaged critical infrastructure such as water, electricity and gas lines. At one point, about 71,000 people were without power.
I’m in Rio Dell, just south of Ferndale, can confirm structural damage to this home, from the 6.4 earthquake in Northern California. @NorthBayNews pic.twitter.com/gyZKmenIi2
— Kent Porter (@kentphotos) December 20, 2022
Director of the California Office of Emergency Services, Mark Gilarducci, said that about 3 million residents of the northern Golden State received an alert 10 seconds before the quake. “The system did work as we hoped,” he said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the county, giving it resources to deal with disasters, allowing applications for federal aid and easing access to unemployment benefits.
“Jennifer and I send our condolences to the families grieving the loss of their loved ones and wish a speedy recovery to those injured in this earthquake,” the governor said in a statement. “California stands with the people of Humboldt County and the state is moving quickly to support the emergency response underway with local partners.”
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