14 DAY TRIAL // This past August 24, at around 3:20 a.m. local time, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit Northern California's San Francisco Bay Area. The quake is said to have been the largest such event documented in this part of the US in 25 years.
Thus, specialists with the US Geological Survey say that the last large earthquake recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area was the Loma Prieta shake in 1989. This quake had a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter scale.
Because it struck close to Napa, i.e. at a distance of 5 miles (8 kilometers) from this city, Sunday's shake is now referred to as the South Napa earthquake. Several aftershocks have already occurred, and others might follow in the days to come.
More precisely, a report issued shortly after the earthquake struck says that some 15 to 40 small aftershocks could hit throughout the course of the following week. The probability of a damaging aftershock is estimated to be one of 32%.
Besides, there is a 5 to 10% chance that an earthquake of the same magnitude – possibly even larger – will hit the area over the following 7 days. These predictions are based on information concerning seismic activity in California.
The 6.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Northern California's San Francisco Bay Area this past Sunday lasted about 10 to 20 seconds. It struck at a depth of 7 miles (11.3 kilometers), and resulted in dozens of injuries and considerable damage to local infrastructure.
KTVU informs that, following the shake, several dozen people needed medical attention. About 13 individuals had to be treated either for respiratory or cardiac issues, or for broken bones. Nearly 200 other people suffered injuries that, although less severe, forced them to seek emergency care.
It is still unclear how exactly local infrastructure in Northern California's San Francisco Bay Area was affected by this seismic event, but information thus far shared with the public says that the earthquake translated into both fires and power outages.
Specifically, word has it that, immediately after the shake, about 70,000 people in the Sonoma and Napa counties found themselves without electricity. The fires, on the other hand, broke out due to gas leaks originating from damaged pipes, emergency responders explain.
Given the severity of the damage caused by this shake, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. was forced to issue a state of emergency for California. Several dozen local schools are now closed, and nearly 100 buildings are considered too unsafe to enter.
Efforts are being made to gain control of the situation and do some damage control. Hopefully, the agencies and emergency responders in charge of handling the damage caused by this shake will soon share more information with the public.