Magnitude 5.6 quake hits Northern California, the strongest since 1940

[Financial News]  Northern California was hit by its strongest earthquake since 1940 on the 24th local time. Some injuries were reported, but no immediate major damage has been confirmed.
On the 24th local time, Associated Press (AP), citing a statement from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), reported that a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck around 8:10 a.m. in an inland area about 12 kilometers northwest of Willits, an agricultural town in Mendocino County, California. The quake was relatively shallow, with a depth of about 8 kilometers.
The earthquake was widely felt across Northern California, including the coastal city of Fort Bragg, about 80 kilometers west of the epicenter. Mendocino County is about 225 kilometers northeast of San Francisco and is home to a cluster of small farming communities.
Heather Ross, a spokesperson for Mendocino County, said, "Some injuries have been reported by local hospitals, but the exact extent and condition of the injuries have not yet been confirmed." She added, "Authorities plan to release more details after a meeting later this afternoon."
The Mendocino County Administrative Office said in a statement that "more than 6,000 residents in six towns near the epicenter lost power." Authorities urged residents to avoid highways and local roads so crews could restore service and assess damage.
Lucy Jones, a prominent California seismologist, explained that "this earthquake did not occur on a major fault line, but it is the largest quake in this area in nearly 90 years." She said, "This is not an earthquake-safe zone, but quakes here are usually much smaller." She also forecast that aftershocks are likely to continue, though they should remain relatively weak. In fact, three more aftershocks below magnitude 2.7 were recorded near the epicenter within an hour of the main quake.
Meanwhile, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services said it sent about 657,000 early earthquake alerts across Northern California through the MyShake app immediately after the quake. The agency added that no major damage has been reported so far, but it is continuing to work with local governments to assess the full impact and damage.


jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-jun Reporter