California earthquake strikes San Francisco Bay area

SAN FRANCISCO: -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 has shaken northern California, causing injuries and damage to buildings.

The USGS said it struck at 03:20 local time (10:20 GMT) four miles (6km) north-west of the town of American Canyon, at a depth of 6.7 miles.

At least 87 people have been taken to hospital in the Napa area, with three of them seriously injured.

California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in order to deal with the effects of the quake.

Officials in Napa said in a statement that the quake had destroyed four mobile homes and made 16 buildings "uninhabitable", as well as causing "approximately 50" gas main breaks and around 30 leaks from water mains.

Three historic buildings in the town had been hit and two commercial buildings "severely damaged", the statement went on.

More than 10,000 households were without power in Napa, about six miles from the earthquake's epicentre, and the surrounding area, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company said.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28918600


-- BBC 2014-08-25

Relax, nobody died.

Relax, nobody died.

Maybe not true. One person was reported dead due to earthquake. Although, because it was reported by FOX News, it could very well be an exaggeration.

Well, there goes the neighbourhood.

UFO's were seen in the area!

Bunch of winos up there. Check it out ...

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

UFO's were seen in the area! alt=thumbsup.gif> alt=whistling.gif>

Look at this guy....1061 post and still can't stay on topic.....pathetic....good job TV....

what was the quake magnitude?

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

UFO's were seen in the area! alt=thumbsup.gif> alt=whistling.gif>

Look at this guy....1061 post and still can't stay on topic.....pathetic....good job TV....

what was the quake magnitude?

Read the OP

Actually this is pretty good news.

Northern California is long over due for a huge destructive quake.

Ones like this help relieve the pressure on the faults and buy more time before the big one!

Did the earth move for you too?

I lived in California for 58 years, most of thet time in Northern California.

Californians are very aware of the potential damage and fatalities that can be caused by a large quake.

Very strict building codes are unforced, codes written with quake resistance in mind.

Wood framed houses that give and bend in a quake rather than fall apart.

Even sky scrapers in San Francisco are built on huge rollers with rubber dampeners to minimize quake damage.

What scares me is countries like Thailand with no real building codes at all.

Most "modern" buildings constructed from unenforced cinder blocks.

The fatality rate will be huge in Thailand if and when a big quake hits.

Some would say " There are not big quakes in Thailand."

No place in the world is immune to big quakes.

Some have them infrequently..but all areas have them.