State of Emergency Declared in San Francisco after 6.0 Earthquake Hits

Amaury · Aug 24, 2014

State of Emergency Declared in San Fransisco after 6.0 Earthquake Hits

Source: NBC

Published: August 24, 2014

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency after a 6.0-magnitude quake jolted the Bay Area early Sunday morning, igniting fires, knocking out power to tens of thousands, injuring at least 87 people and sending residents running out of their homes in the middle of the night.

The quake struck near southwest of Napa at 3:20 a.m. causing houses to shake in the center of San Francisco and knocking out power to more than 50,000 houses, according to the U.S. Geological Services. The USGS briefly upgraded the magnitude to 6.1 before downgrading it. The earthquake is the largest earthquake to shake the Bay Area since the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta quake in 1989, the USGS said.

"There's collapses, fires," said Napa Fire Capt. Doug Bridewell, standing in front of large pieces of masonry that broke loose from a turn of the century office building where a fire had just been extinguished. "That's the worst shaking I've ever been in."

Quake Reaction: Tweets From People Near the Epicenter

There were at least four aftershocks larger than 2.0 magnitude felt in Napa County Sunday morning, ranging in size from 2.5 to 3.6 magnitude, according to the Geological Survey. USGS said between 30 and 70 small aftershocks could hit the area during the next week.

At least 87 people were treated for injuries and three of them were in critical condition at Queen of the Valley hospital. The three people who were critically injured include two adults and one child.

The shaking emptied cabinets in homes and store shelves, set off car alarms and caused damage inside homes in neighboring Sonoma County.

“We were just sleeping and all of a sudden there was enormous amount of noise and our bed started bouncing from side to side,” said Dandridge Marsh, 37, who works in wine retail business and lives in Napa with his wife. “You can hear things falling down.”

Marsh said the power went out right away and he started walking toward his garage to get a flashlight. He said broken glass was everywhere.

“It was pretty wild coming out and seeing all the cabinets, the piano and the refrigerator moved a foot over,” he said. “The car was parked in the middle of the garage and is now resting against the garage door.”

USGS said the quake struck about 10 miles northwest of American Canyon, which is located about 6 miles southwest of Napa. Most reported damage has been confined to Napa and Sonoma areas. At least 20 aftershocks were felt, including a magnitude 3.6 aftershock four miles southwest of Napa. About 30 to 70 small aftershocks are expected over the next seven days, the USGS said on Twitter.

"I was at work when it happened," said David Lew, who works at a casino in American Canyon. "My absolute first thought was getting in touch with my wife, who is five months pregnant."

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said most of the damage was visible through cracks in roads, especially on Highway 121 and 209.

NBC Bay Area's chopper footage over downtown Napa showed a mobile home park on fire at Orchard Avenue and a gaping hole near the top corner of the old courthouse. At least four mobile homes have been destroyed, and 50 gas line breaks have been reported, according to Napa County Emergency Services.

Water treatment plants are operational and unharmed, though 30 water main breaks have been reported.

California Gov. Jerry Brown Jr. said in a statement Sunday morning the impact of the earthquake is being felt throughout the region.

"My Office of Emergency Services has been on full activation since early this morning and is working close with state and local emergency managers, first responders and transportation officials to respond to impacts to residents and critical infrastructure," he said. "These safety officials are doing all they can to help residents and those living in affected areas should follow their guidance and instruction."

People took to social media to share news of the quake. NBC Bay Area Chief Meteorologist Jeff Ranieri reported feeling a "violent shaking or rolling motion" for around 20 seconds. Some reported items being tossed around inside their house.

"It's certainly a jolt and reminds people we live in a place where large earthquakes occur," said David Schwartz of the USGS. "We will be looking for the rest of tonight and tomorrow. Our seismologists are taking a closer look. People can expect smaller aftershocks to continue."

Schwartz said the earthquake was felt all the way to Sacramento and down to Salinas.

There was no report of damage to the Bay Bridge or any other major bridge in the Bay Area.

Quake Reaction: Tweets From People Near the Epicenter

"The most important thing for people to remember is drop, cover and hold if we do happen to get another big one," Ranieri said. "If you smell gas it probably means there is a gas leak."

Napa High School at 2475 Jefferson Street and Grace Church at 3765 Solano Avenue in Napa have been established as evacuation centers, according to Napa police.

Information from USGS on the earthquake can be found here.

This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.
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Fellangel · Aug 25, 2014

Kind of an odd earthquake. I live in the Bay Area. A lot of my friends felt the quake. Me and a few others didn't. However, I hope the ones affected aren't too hurt by it. It was a pretty big one.

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State of Emergency Declared in San Francisco after 6.0 Earthquake Hits

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