Strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake rocks San Francisco Bay area

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported a strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked the San Francisco Bay area early Sunday morning (August 24, 2014). It was centered 6 kilometers (4 miles) northwest of the Napa County town of American Canyon. According to a CBSlocal new outlet, the earthquake caused:

… widespread power outages in Napa and Sonoma, causing moderate damage across the region, significantly damaging historic buildings in Downtown Napa, and forcing the [California Highway Patrol] to close ramps on a major highway.

CNN reported:

In Napa, at least 120 people were injured and treated in the emergency room of Queen of the Valley Hospital, said Hospital president Walt Mickens. Six patients sustained critical injures, including a young child, Mickens said.

USGS said that, immediately after the main 6.0-magnitude earthquake, the probability of strong and possibly damaging aftershocks in the next 7 days is approximately 54%. At least 36 small aftershocks were recorded immediately following the earthquake.

USGS further said that, most likely, the mains earthquake Sunday morning would be the largest in the sequence. However, there is a small chance (approximately 5-10%) of an earthquake equal to or larger than the mainshock within 7 days of the main quake.

Details of the quake follow:

Event Time
2014-08-24 10:20:44 UTC
2014-08-24 03:20:44 UTC-07:00 at epicenter

Location
38.214°N 122.319°W

Depth=10.8km (6.7mi)

Nearby Cities
6km (4mi) NW of American Canyon, California
9km (6mi) SSW of Napa, California
13km (8mi) NNW of Vallejo, California
14km (9mi) SE of Sonoma, California
82km (51mi) WSW of Sacramento, California

Bottom line: Strong earthquake struck San Francisco Bay area early on August 24, 2014. Power outages, moderate damage across region, closed highways, serious injuries, no deaths.

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