Powerful 6.4 magnitude tremor shakes California

A massive 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of northern California early Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

That “Notable” quake occurred about seven miles west-southwest of Ferndale, a town of about 15,000 people 261 miles north of San Francisco, the USGS said at 5:45 a.m. which was 2:45 a.m. local time.

It prompted the agency’s early-earned “tremor alert,” but it wasn’t initially expected that there would be a damaging tsunami in the area This was announced by the National Weather Service.

There were no initial reports of widespread damage, but locals tweeted images of the aftermath, with more than 58,000 people in the area losing power, including Eureka and Fortuna.

“It was a big deal,” said Caroline Titus, a former Ferndale newspaper editor. tweeted along with video from fallen objects strewn on the floor of their home. “Home is a mess,” she said.

At least 13 aftershocks were reported within 45 minutes of the initial 6.4 magnitude tremor, according to the USGS.