UPDATE: 6.4 magnitude earthquake leaves Californian town ‘a total mess’ with two dead

A huge 6.4 magnitude earthquake has killed two people and left a northern Californian town in turmoil.

UPDATE: Wednesday, December 21 at 2:46am

Two people died after an earthquake hit a northern Californian town on Tuesday, December 20. According to abcnews.go.com, the deceased were a 72-year-old and an 83-year-old from Humboldt County.

Officials said they died as “a result of medical emergencies occurring during and/or just following the earthquake”. Another 12 residents suffered injuries but this number was expected to rise.

William Honsal, the Humboldt County Sheriff, said that the town of Rio Dell was without water or electricity on Tuesday. The huge quake ruptured a main water supply pipe and rocked properties off their foundations he added, leaving the town a ‘total mess’.

Tuesday, December 20 at 8:37pm

A powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern California in the early hours of Tuesday, December 20. At least two people were injured in the Humboldt County town of Ferndale, while tens of thousands of residents and businesses were left without electricity.

The quake hit at around 02:34 local time with its epicentre located just off the Californian coast. It occurred at a depth of about 10 miles (16km). According to the US Geological Survey, the region suffered more than a dozen smaller tremors shortly after.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near Ferndale, CA at 2:34 this morning, Dec 20 2022. Shaking was damaging near epicenter and widely felt in NorCal. @USGS_ShakeAlert issued alerts to cell phones throughout the region. Smaller aftershocks should be expected in the coming days. 🧵 https://t.co/acitHmaVUD

— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) December 20, 2022

Considerable damage was caused to properties and roads with numerous gas leaks being reported as a result. Power lines were brought down, leaving many without power. A bridge over the Eel River in Ferndale had developed cracks said the California highway patrol.

One homeowner, Caroline Titus, took to Twitter @caroline95536, where she wrote: “That was a big one. Power is now out in #ferndaleca. House is a mess. #earthquake”.

That was a big one. Power is now out in #ferndaleca. House is a mess. #earthquake pic.twitter.com/YEmcv1Urhp

— Caroline Titus (@caroline95536) December 20, 2022

The sheriff’s office reported numerous injuries including one person who broke their hip. According to the tracking website poweroutageus.com, more than 72,000 homes and businesses have been affected by power outages.

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