6.4 magnitude earthquake jolts Northern California coast near Eureka

FERNDALE — A large earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 jolted the Northern California coastline near Eureka on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The earthquake occurred around 2:34 a.m. on Tuesday with the epicenter reported to be just offshore of Humboldt County in California.

Besides Eureka, the towns of Ferndale and Fortuna are nearby, based on the epicenter reported by the U.S. Geological Survey. The popular Humboldt Redwoods State Park is also in the vicinity.

Power outages were reported in Humboldt County, emergency officials stated. Residents and journalists in the region were reporting scattered gas leaks around the region, and property damage ranging from collapsed structures in rural areas to felled shelves and other home fixtures.

A swarm of aftershocks that included a 4.6 magnitude shaker in the town of Rio Dell several miles inland from the coast also rumbled through Humboldt County Tuesday morning.

At least 13 aftershocks were reported by the U.S. Geological Survey within 45 minutes after the initial 6.4 quake. The aftershocks were primarily inland east of the original temblor.

The ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System — which is co-operated by the USGS and covers the West Coast, buzzed smartphones and woke up thousands of Bay Area residents to notify them of the earthquake. The local alert also warned that they might feel some shaking although that did not appear to have materialized.

A tsunami risk was ruled out by the National Weather Service. The Weather Service estimated that the quake occurred at a depth of one mile in the Pacific Ocean.

“Power is out across the county,” the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office stated at 3:13 a.m. in a post on its Twitter page.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.

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