At least two people were injured and tens of thousands of homes and businesses were left without power after a massive earthquake struck northern California.
The ‘insane’ magnitude 6.4 quake struck at 2.34am local time (10.34am UK time) on Tuesday, with its epicenter just off the coast and around 10 miles (16km) deep, but it n there was no threat of a tsunami.
Residents reported shaking for up to 20 seconds.
The earthquake occurred near the town of Ferndale in Humboldt County.
More than a dozen smaller quakes appeared to hit parts of the region afterward, the US Geological Survey said.
The main earthquake caused considerable damage to roads and houses, as well as a bridge, while power lines were destroyed and there were numerous gas leaks.
Ferndale, where both injuries occurred, is home to around 1,400 people and is located 260 miles (420 km) north of San Francisco.
One person broke their hip and another suffered a head injury, the sheriff’s office said.
More than 72,000 homes and businesses were without power there and elsewhere in the county, according to tracking website Poweroutageus.com.
And the California Highway Patrol was responding to reports of cracks in the Ferndale Bridge over the Eel River inside and outside Ferndale.
“It was big”
Ferndale resident Caroline Titus tweeted a video in her dark home of overturned furniture and smashed dishes.
“Our house is a 140 year old Victorian house. The north-south jolt is very evident in what has fallen,” she tweeted.
“It was a big deal,” she said in another post.
Another Twitter user, Jimmy Eller, who said he lives in Humboldt County, wrote, “That quake was insane. A good 15-20 seconds of shaking.”
And the sheriff’s office tweeted: “Due to a large earthquake, extensive damage to roads and homes is reported throughout Humboldt County.
“Be prepared for aftershocks. Check gas and water lines for damage or leaks. Exercise caution if traveling.”
