A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck off the shore of northern California at about4:27 p.m. PST on Saturday. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, theearthquake epicenter was about 33 miles offshore of Eureka, Calif., at a focaldepth of 13.5 miles. The undersea tremor did not prompt a tsunami warning.Aftershocks followed the initial offshore earthquake, with the strongestreported at 4.5 magnitude. Aftershocks were forecast for days to come.
Power outages hit the region as lines snapped leaving about 25,000 blacked outtemporarily, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Most of the poweroutages occurred in Humbolt County, the county where Eureka is located. Therewere no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage.
The area of northwestern California and the nearby Pacific sea floor is highlyactive seismically with quakes occurring yearly.
Story by AccuWeather.com Meteorologists Andy Mussoline and Jim Andrews
