2nd earthquake in 2 weeks jolts Northern California’s Humboldt County
A provisional 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit northern California on New Year’s Day, killing two people within two weeks and hitting the same area that caused extensive damage, officials said.
Sunday’s quake struck at 10:35 a.m. and its epicenter was pinpointed nine miles east of Riodell in Humboldt County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage. U.S. Route 211 was temporarily closed as inspectors checked the bridge over the Eel River in Humboldt County for damage, according to the California Department of Transportation.
Godofredo A. Vazquez/AP, FILE
Shakers caused a power outage in the Riodell area, about 245 miles north of San Francisco.pacific gas & Electric Company reported that between 500 and 4,999 utility customers will be affected by the outage.
The earthquake occurred 12 days after it hit the same area.
On December 20, a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit the same area, killing two people aged 73 and 83. An earthquake,” the official said. The previous quake injured 17 people, cut power and water in the city of Riodel, wrecked water mains and shook several homes from their foundations, county officials said.
A cell phone customer looks at an iPhone earthquake alert application in Los Angeles on January 3, 2019.
Richard Vogel/AP, FILE
Gage Dapper, whose home was destroyed in an earlier earthquake, told ABC’s San Francisco station KGO-TV that he lives as a “nomad.”
“Today was another big one. I still feel like I’m shivering. I can’t seem to get a break,” Dapper said.
He said he was working at Fortuna next door to Del Rio when Sunday’s earthquake struck.
“But it felt like the ceiling was going to drop just here,” Dapper said. “We almost lost our strength here, too. I was in the middle of talking to a resident of the assisted living community where I work. When we started talking, there was panic in their eyes. She was just trying to pay the rent.’ It certainly shook us up a bit.