Northern California Earthquake

At least two people were killed and 11 injured early yesterday morning after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck the northern California coast roughly 250 miles north of San Francisco. The epicenter was just a few miles off the coast at a depth of 16 miles (see map), though no tsunami threat was announced.

Residents were awakened from sleep as one of the region's strongest quakes in a decade rocked the small redwoods communities of Ferndale and Eureka, leaving at least 70,000 homes without power. Hundreds of buildings suffered damage as roads buckled and bridges cracked. Officials reported at least 80 aftershocks, many of which reached a 3.0 magnitude.

The region sits adjacent to the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a 600-mile junction of tectonic plates parallel to the coast. Seismologists estimate there is above a 30% chance of a magnitude 9.0 quake occurring in the region within the next 50 years, likely triggering a devastating tsunami. Learn more about the "Big One" here (w/video).