Northern California earthquake near Ferndale, Eureka: Outages reported

A preliminary magnitude 6.4 earthquake rocked Northern California early Tuesday morning, the strongest earthquake the area has seen in years.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 2:34 a.m. PT in waters about  7.5 miles west of Ferndale at a depth of just over 16 miles. The city is about 19 miles south of Eureka near the California and Oregon state line.

As of early Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service’s tsunami warning system reported there was no tsunami threat associated with the quake.

Tuesday’s 6.4 magnitude earthquake could be the most significant to hit California since July 2019, when a 7.1 magnitude quake hit the Ridgecrest area in Southern California, according to the state Department of Conservation. A 6.5 magnitude quake was recorded about 100 miles offshore near Ferndale in 2016.

As of just before 4 a.m. PT Pacific Gas & Electric Co. reported tens of thousands of customers without power in the area. In Humboldt County alone, where Ferndale is located, more then 70,000 people were in the dark.