NAPA, Calif. (AP) — Scientists say there could be aftershocks for several weeks following yesterday morning’s 6.0-magnitude earthquake that shook Napa, California. The quake struck the heart of the state’s wine country.
The damage assessment continues today — but the initial assessment found that dozens of homes and buildings in the region were unsafe to occupy. They include an old county courthouse, where a 10-foot wide hole opened a view of the offices inside.
The quake was the largest to shake the San Francisco Bay Area since 1989.
State Geologist John Parrish is warning that buildings damaged in the quake will be more susceptible to collapse from aftershocks. The quake caused gas and water lines to rupture, sparking fires. Four homes in a mobile home park were destroyed.
A Napa hospital treated more than 170 people in the emergency room, though hospital officials couldn’t say how many of them were there for injuries suffered in the quake. Twelve more people were admitted for broken bones and other medical problems directly related to the quake, including an adult who remained in critical condition last night.
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058-a-08-(John Parrish, chief, California Geological Survey, at news conference Sunday)-“for several weeks”-California State Geologist John Parrish says people in the affected area can expect some more shaking. (25 Aug 2014)
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059-a-10-(Mary Briggs, tourist from Florida, in AP interview Sunday)-“it really hard”-Mary Briggs, a tourist to Napa from Florida, says the earthquake was very strong. (25 Aug 2014)
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APPHOTO CANB118: A corner of the historic Napa County Courthouse sits exposed following an earthquake Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014, in Napa, Calif. Officials in the city of Napa say 15 to 16 buildings are no longer inhabitable after Sunday’s magnitude-6.0 earthquake, and there is only limited access to numerous other structures. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) (24 Aug 2014)
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APPHOTO CAER132: Barrels filled with Cabernet Sauvignon are toppled on one another following an earthquake at the B.R. Cohn Winery barrel storage facility Sunday, Aug. 24, 2014, in Napa, Calif. Winemakers in California’s storied Napa Valley woke up to thousands of broken bottles, barrels and gallons of ruined wine as a result of Sunday’s earthquake. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) (24 Aug 2014)
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