Sorry to have not followed up on yesterday's post as planned, but there's a learning curve with the new system, and...an earthquake.

The earthquake was a 6.4 - a lot of us feel as if it was even more than that, and there was a lot of damage. Around 50-100 families have been displaced, 2 people have died, a handful have been injured, and there have been a couple of fires. Most of the calls have been about gas and water leaks.

We were still up at 2:30 - checking the new system for charge times, when Krypto got upset, and we heard a strange, very loud sound up on the 101 corridor. It didn't sound like an earthquake, though I've heard a few in my day. The loud roar went on and on. But, because we were off the generator, I didn't post.

There's no damage that we can tell here, thankfully. Ds was awakened by it, and his phone, which gave him a 10 second warning to drop and protect himself. It's a new system that's only been in place for a short while. No tsunami is predicted.

Here are some snips and photos from my local paper:

UPDATE 5:04 a.m.: Please be cautious driving. There are numerous reports of cracks in roadways. Ridgewood is cracked and there are concerns it might slide. Blue Slide has a large crack in the roadway but is passable.

There is a structure fire at Pacific Ave following a gas leak. Three engines are on scene.

UPDATE 3:49 a.m.: “There may be a shortage of ambulances right now,” a dispatcher said over the scanner.

UPDATE 3:50 a.m.: Hwy 211 is closed after Fernbridge is damaged, the dispatcher just said. He added that a bridge near Rio Dell on 101 is being checked

UPDATE 3:08 a.m.: Report of a structure collapse with possible entrapment at Pacific Avenue.

UPDATE 3:15 a.m.: Power is out to thousands across Humboldt County.

This is one of the maps showing how widespread the power outages are:



This is just one photo of a bridge:



UPDATE 5:39 a.m.: The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department tweeted, “This is an Alert. Due to a large earthquake, widespread damages to roads and homes are reported throughout Humboldt County and beyond. Be prepared for aftershocks. Check gas and water lines for damages or leaks. Exercise caution if traveling.

I only felt a radical slamming here, but some people's homes, especially close to the epicenter, are trashed, according to what they are saying, as are some stores.

It was the 2nd most radical earthquake that I've felt, and if you count how far away the epicenter was, it might be #1.