Preliminary 5.4 earthquake strikes near Rio Dell in Humboldt Co., USGS says

Sunday, January 1, 2023

Preliminary 5.4 quake strikes near Rio Dell in Humboldt Co., USGS says

A preliminary magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Humboldt County in Northern California near the site of December's 6.4 quake, according to the USGS.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- A preliminary magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck in Humboldt County in Northern California on Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake happened at 10:35 a.m. and struck 9.3 miles southeast of Rio Dell at a depth of 17.3 miles.

This comes nearly two weeks after a large 6.4 earthquake hit Humboldt County in Northern California, killing two people and injured about a dozen people. It caused widespread damage.

So far, there have no reports of any major damage or injuries.

But State Route 211 at Fernbridge, Humboldt County is closed as officials are assessing for any damage, Caltrans said. "The bridge is closed while we conduct safety inspections from today's New Year's Day earthquake."

Humboldt County 2nd District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell told ABC7 news anchor Liz Kreutz the power is out again in Rio Dell.

And according to PG&E power map, there are at least 500 to 4,999 customers without power based on the "orange squares" in the Rio Dell area.

Gage Dupper- who was displaced from the 6.4 earthquake in December after his home was shaken off its foundation, told Liz Kreutz in a text message, writing:

"I'm still a nomad at the moment. Rio Dell is without power, but I believe there is still water. Today was another pretty big one. Still feels like we are shaking to me. We just can't catch a break it seems."

"I'm at work in Fortuna. A town over. But even just here it felt like the ceiling was going to come down. We nearly lost our power here as well. I was in the middle of talking to a resident of the assisted living community I work for and you could just see the panic in their eyes when it started. She was just trying to pay her rent. It certainly tossed us around a bit."

Rio Dell Police Chief Greg Allen tells ABC7, the 5.4 earthquake on Sunday did shake some homes off their foundation and cause other structural damage. But so far, no reports of injuries.

Surveillance video from inside the Rio Dell Police Department obtained by ABC7 shows the moment a 5.4 earthquake struck Humboldt County on New Year's Day.

Video above is from a previous report.

This is story is developing. Check back for updates.

Click here for the latest stories and videos about earthquakes here in the Bay Area and around the world, and click here for more information on disaster preparedness.

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