6.0 Magnitude Quake Strikes Napa Valley, Damage Reported

A 6.0 earthquake struck California’s wine country early on Sunday morning rattling residents there at just before 3:30 am.

Only a handful of people were injured in the quake with three people admitted for broken bones and a couple of others for heart attack admitted as a result of the rattler. Another 120 people were treated and released for minor injuries in the shaker.

While the quake occurred during the peak of the harvest season, surprisingly little damage was done to the industry that is at the peak of the tourist season during the harvest time of the year. Downtown Napa saw the most damage from the quake due to the age of the buildings there. Many houses saw chimneys collapse because of the event. Six fires also broke out because of the quake.

There were numerous reports of gas leaks and downed power lines and 15,000 to 20,000 customers lost power. Well over 50 water mains suffered damage and city officials say it may take as long as a week to repair those mains.

The earthquake took place within 44 miles of the major San Andreas Fault lines running through California and occurred about four miles to the Northwest of American Canyon, which is about 5 miles south-southwest of Napa. It was generated at a depth of seven miles near the well-known West Napa Fault.

The area would suffer scores of aftershocks with at least six more aftershocks throughout the morning ranging from 2.5 to 3.6.

The quake today was the largest to strike the region in 25 years. In 1989, it is recorded that 63 people died during that event while another 3,700 suffered injuries.

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