CNN
The strongest earthquake in 25 years struck Northern California early Sunday, injuring more than 120 people, damaging historic buildings in downtown Napa and turning fireplaces into rubble.
The 6.1-magnitude quake struck just six miles southwest of Napa, California’s famed wine country.
All but six of the injured were treated and released from the emergency room at Queen of the Valley Hospital, said its president, Walt Mickens. They mostly suffered bruises and lacerations, he said.
Six patients sustained critical injures, including a young child, Mickens said.
The child was hurt when a fireplace collapsed and has been airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center, hospital spokewoman Vanessa deGier told CNN.
“Everything and everyone in Napa was affected by the quake. My house,
along with everybody else’s, is a disaster. It looks like somebody broke in and ravaged the place, room by room.” said CNN iReporter Malissa Koven, who was awakened by the shaking at about 3:20 a.m.
“Anything and everything that could fall, did,” she said.
The damage in Napa is “fairly significant,” said Glenn Pomeroy, the CEO of the California Earthquake Authority, who surveyed the area Sunday afternoon.
“The downtown area is hardest hit, probably because of the age of construction down there,” Pomeroy said. In the residential areas, he is “seeing a lot of chimneys that’ve come crashing down.”
To help with the recovery Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency.
The earthquake triggered six major fires that completely destroyed several mobile homes, said Napa Division Fire Chief John Callanan. The city has set up a shelter for those who need a place to stay.
People phoned in more than 100 reports of gas leaks and downed power lines, according to Napa city officials.
Some historic buildings in downtown Napa showed extensive damage and at least 15,000 customers in and around Sonoma, Napa, and Santa Rosa lost power, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
City officials counted at least 60 minor water main breaks and leaks, and 20 of those lines have been shut off, according to Napa public works director Jack Rochelle.
“None of our larger transmission mains appear to have been damaged. That is really good news,” Rochelle said.
He said it might take up to a week to get the water system back to normal. The water that is still flowing is safe to drink, he said.
School has been canceled in Napa on Monday to give officials time to clean up and review their school buildings to make sure they are safe, said Napa Valley Unified Schools Superintendent Patrick Sweeney.
How did it feel?
Bricks, glass and other detritus lay splayed across Napa’s streets in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake.
Sunday’s earthquake struck four miles northwest of American Canyon, six miles southwest of Napa and nine miles southeast of Sonoma, according to the USGS.
The USGS estimated that based on their locations, 15,000 people experienced severe shaking, 106,000 people felt very strong shaking, 176,000 felt strong shaking and 738,000 felt moderate shaking.
For those in Napa, close to the epicenter, the quake jolted downtown residents such as Karen Lynch.
“It was not like other quakes we have felt,” Lynch told CNN. “This was a violent quake.”
Although the quake has not resulted in any casualties so far, many residents were surprised by how strong it was.
“Honestly it felt much worse than the ’89 earthquake,” CNN iReporter Garret Gauer said. “The refrigerator relocated itself to the other side of the kitchen”
Farther south of the epicenter in San Francisco, CNN producer Augie Martin felt the quake differently.
“It was a fairly good shake, about 25 or 30 seconds. It was a softer rolling type earthquake ” he said.
The quake struck about 7 miles deep and was considered “strong” by the USGS. Major quakes start at a 7.0 magnitude, according to the USGS scale.
The economic loss caused by the quake is likely to be more than a billion dollars, according to USGS pager data.
Urgent funds are needed to support the cleanup efforts at Chabad of Napa.
Sure Moshiach’s coming but seriously, is that all u can say?
yes you can help my donating
https://cco-secure.clhosting.org/m/cco/donate_cdo/1/1/lang/en/site/m.jewishnapavalley.com#_donate
on a side note:
You should have all your bookcases secured to the wall, otherwise they can tip over even without an earthquake. protect your little ones (and big ones), it’s quite simple.
Is there a way to help???
Do they have a emergency fund for the chabad house
It was the yayim hmeshumar as it is in Napa valley
are Rabbi Ferris and family and kehila ok?
All shluchim in the Bay Area are ok,B’H!
Moshiach is almost here!!! that’s the Levyasan moving!!!