CNN –
Officials in Northern California are back in cleanup mode after the second earthquake in two weeks struck the region Sunday morning, tearing apart walls and roads.
The 5.4-magnitude earthquake was shallow and struck at a depth of about 19 miles, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. It was centered about 30 miles south of Eureka and 9 miles southeast of Rio Dell, the USGS said.
A 6.4 earthquake also struck the area, about 125 miles south of the Oregon border, on Dec. 20, killing two.
Rio Dell Mayor Debra Garnes said the December earthquake also left 27 of the city’s homes red-tagged, meaning they were unsafe due to damage, and 73 homes with yellow tags. Some of the buildings were more damaged Sunday and may have to be demolished, he said.
“We’re starting over — we had gone from our response to recovery, and now we’re basically in both,” Garnes told CNN’s Pamela Brown Sunday. “We have to respond again because the south end of the city has really taken a hit this time.”
Garnes said Sunday’s earthquake shook his home.
“It was crazy. The earthquake felt more violent this time,” Garnes told CNN. “It was shorter, but more violent. My fridge moved two feet. Things came out of the fridge. There’s a crack in my wall because of the violence.”
Garnes said a neighbor’s home also had a wall crack from the quake.
The mayor said 30% of the city’s water is shut off and the city has lost “pockets” of electricity. There is a 35-foot crack in one of the city’s main roads, he said.
But the mayor said there has been a “tremendous response from the community,” in the form of state and local agencies, as well as help from neighboring towns.
“Literally, everybody is doing everything they can to help us get through this,” Garnes said.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that Sunday’s earthquake knocked out power to an estimated 50 percent of Rio Dell residents. He said the Red Cross had opened a shelter overnight for residents affected by the earthquake.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said he was monitoring the impact of the earthquake.
“Stay safe: Check gas and water lines for damage or leaks, prepare for aftershocks and remember to drop, cover and hold on,” the office said in a tweet.