14,000 Without Power After Northern California Earthquake

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(TNS) – More than 14,000 homes and businesses remained without power Wednesday morning in Humboldt County, one day after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook coastal Northern California, resulting in at least two deaths and a dozen injuries while displacing residents and damaging critical infrastructure.

The powerful earthquake came shortly after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, with an epicenter about 8 miles west of the small city of Ferndale, population 1,400. Dozens of aftershocks have followed.

The city of Rio Dell , home to roughly 3,400 people, suffered a water main break and remained without running water as of Wednesday morning, officials said.

The two victims who died were residents ages 72 and 83, Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal said Tuesday afternoon in a news conference at Rio Dell City Hall.

Both suffered medical injuries and “did not get timely medical care” due to the earthquake, the sheriff said. About a dozen others suffered injuries described as minor to moderate, though Honsal said that tally was likely to increase.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday evening proclaimed a state of emergency for Humboldt County. Honsal also declared a local emergency.

“California stands with the people of Humboldt County, and the state has moved quickly to support the emergency response underway with local and tribal partners,” Newsom said in a statement.

About 15 homes in Rio Dell were “red-tagged” as of Tuesday afternoon, meaning they were assessed and deemed unsafe to occupy, City Manager Kyle Knopp said in a news conference. Honsal said at least one of the two victims who died was in Rio Dell at the time.

The American Red Cross’ Gold Country chapter has opened a shelter at the Fireman’s Pavilion at Rohner Park, 9 Park Way in Fortuna. The organization on Wednesday said it cared for nine people Tuesday night.

Damage assessment was expected to continue through at least midday Wednesday in Rio Dell, Knopp said, and the city was bracing for as many as 150 displaced residents.

Images posted to social media showed widespread damage at homes and businesses in Humboldt County — from toppled shelves and furniture to broken glass and dishware. The Sheriff’s Office in a Tuesday afternoon news release reported “significant structural damages, including gas and water lines” in Rio Dell.

The Sheriff’s Office issued a boil-water advisory for Rio Dell and some parts of Fortuna.

Power restored for thousands, but many still in dark

PG&E on its online outage map as of 7 a.m. Wednesday showed about 14,500 customers still without power across Humboldt County.

The utility company expects to have power restored to “nearly all” customers as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, spokeswoman Megan McFarland said in a tweet.

The remaining outages included about 6,500 in the Fortuna area, more than 3,000 in and around Ferndale and close to 2,500 in Rio Dell.

About 72,000 customers lost power when the temblor first struck, PG&E said.

Bridge damaged by earthquake

Caltrans closed Highway 211’s Fernbridge over the Eel River after authorities found cracks. It remained closed as of Wednesday morning to non-emergency vehicles.

Tony Tavares, director of Caltrans, said the agency has awarded a $6 million grant to contractors to begin immediate shoring up and repair work on the 111-year-old structure.

Tavares, during a Tuesday morning news conference at the Cal OES headquarters in Sacramento County, said those crews were due to arrive Tuesday evening.

Highways 36, 101 and 299 remain open.

Earthquake struck in region familiar with quakes

Humboldt County, home to some 136,000 residents, is in a region of the state that has a long history of large earthquakes. That includes a magnitude 7.0 quake in 1980 and a 6.8 tremor in 2014, according to the California Earthquake Authority.

The region sits at a triple junction of tectonic activity — the Pacific, North American and Juan de Fuca plates intersect just off the coast.

“It’s a complex area offshore, where we have the Pacific Plate, the North American Plate … and some small pieces of other plates,” Cindy Pridmore, a geologist with the California Geological Survey, said in Tuesday’s Cal OES briefing.

Pridmore said that region has seen more than 40 earthquakes ranging from magnitude 6.0 to magnitude 7.0 in the past.

The U.S. Geological Survey said that as of Wednesday morning more than 130 aftershocks had been recorded in the area, 63 of which were greater than magnitude 2.5.