Humboldt had quake plan ready
Source: Agencies |
January 12, 2010, Tuesday
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A NORTHERN California county escaped with what appears to be just minor damage from a powerful weekend earthquake, and residents and officials say their quake readiness played a role.
Damage from Saturday's offshore 6.5-magnitude quake was widespread in Humboldt County but so far minor as agencies continue their assessments - cracks in walls and floors, temporary power outages, shattered windows, toppled store shelves, broken dishes and home appliances and fixtures, some bent railings on bridges.
"We're very, very fortunate that it's not worse, but there is a lot of damage," United States Congressman Mike Thompson of California said at a press conference in the county's main town, Eureka.
A preliminary estimate of damage in Eureka came to US$12.5 million, said the city's fire chief, Eric Smith. No countywide assessment was available.
There were no serious injuries. More than two dozen people sustained cuts and bruises mainly from shattering glass and an elderly woman broke her hip.
"I think we can attribute some of this to being prepared," said Phil Smith-Hanes, Humboldt County spokesman. "Folks in this area are used to living in earthquake country."
Agencies and residents say they had plans in place and an awareness of safety measures such as not hanging heavy things on walls. That helped avert destruction and panic, officials said.
The quake's location - centered in the Pacific Ocean about 35 kilometers west of Ferndale and away from urban areas - also helped the region escape relatively unscathed what could have been a major disaster. A similar quake killed 72 people in 1994 in the Los Angeles area.
Damage from Saturday's offshore 6.5-magnitude quake was widespread in Humboldt County but so far minor as agencies continue their assessments - cracks in walls and floors, temporary power outages, shattered windows, toppled store shelves, broken dishes and home appliances and fixtures, some bent railings on bridges.
"We're very, very fortunate that it's not worse, but there is a lot of damage," United States Congressman Mike Thompson of California said at a press conference in the county's main town, Eureka.
A preliminary estimate of damage in Eureka came to US$12.5 million, said the city's fire chief, Eric Smith. No countywide assessment was available.
There were no serious injuries. More than two dozen people sustained cuts and bruises mainly from shattering glass and an elderly woman broke her hip.
"I think we can attribute some of this to being prepared," said Phil Smith-Hanes, Humboldt County spokesman. "Folks in this area are used to living in earthquake country."
Agencies and residents say they had plans in place and an awareness of safety measures such as not hanging heavy things on walls. That helped avert destruction and panic, officials said.
The quake's location - centered in the Pacific Ocean about 35 kilometers west of Ferndale and away from urban areas - also helped the region escape relatively unscathed what could have been a major disaster. A similar quake killed 72 people in 1994 in the Los Angeles area.
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