A 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Northern California early on Tuesday.
The quake struck at 2:34 a.m. PT in the Pacific Ocean about 7.5 miles away from the town of Ferndale in Humboldt County, which is located about 260 miles northwest of San Francisco along the state's Redwood Coast.
After the earthquake hit, there were 21 smaller aftershocks, according to California Governor's Office of Emergency Services. At least 17 of the aftershocks were magnitude 3 or higher, which are strong enough to be felt nearby, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Officials say the chance of aftershocks will continue to linger for about a week.
More than 71,000 homes and businesses are without power after the earthquake, which also caused significant damage. The Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services said there were reports of "widespread damages to roads and homes," and warned residents of possible aftershocks.
At least two people were injured, but both are expected to recover, the Associated Press reported. One person broke their hip and another sustained a head injury, per NBC News.
Kent Porter, a photojournalist with the Press Democrat, was out early surveying the damage. Eugene Ross, who was helping clean up the mess at a Napa Auto Parts store in Rio Dell, told Porter he was sleeping in bed when the earthquake "hit hard."
"It shook hard," he said. "It was like, put your hands on the bed and just wait because, I mean, you couldn't get up."
Near Fortuna, California State Route 211 had to be shut down at Fernbridge after seismic damage caused the 1,320-foot-long concrete arch bridge that spans the Eel River to crack across its width.
The bridge is closed until further notice while officials conduct safety inspections.
"Some damage" to buildings and infrastructure was reported, and two hospitals in the area lost power and were running on generators, but the scale of the damage appeared to be "minimal" compared to the strength of the quake, Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, told the AP.
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