5.2-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northern California

WILLOW CREEK, Calif.-A moderate earthquake hit a mountainous region of Northern California on Tuesday night. There are no immediate reports or injury or damage.A magnitude 5.2 temblor struck at 8:03 p.m., centered about 11 miles southeast of the town of Willow Creek in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.The quake originated about 11 miles below the surface on an unmapped fault, said USGS seismologist David Oppenheimer.Because of its depth, few aftershocks were felt, scientists said. About three were recorded, with the largest measuring a magnitude 2.4, the USGS reported.Officials in Shasta, Trinity and Humboldt counties said there were no immediate reports of injury or damage, although many residents said they felt the shaking.The quake was felt as far north as Crescent City near the Oregon state line and as far south as San Francisco, 320 miles away, according to citizen reports posted on the USGS Web site.Mary Daher, owner of the Bigfoot Motel in Willow Creek, said the quake lasted 10 seconds or less."It was pretty quick and it was pretty strong," she said. "It wasn't like one of those rolling earthquakes. It was just a jolt."She said she and her guests headed outside quickly but she was not aware of any damage. One guest said the quake sent his soda sliding across a table.The town of 1,800 sits on Highway 299, the main conduit between Redding and Arcata, home of Humboldt State University. It has long been a draw for college students escaping the coastal fog to sunbathe along the nearby Trinity River.The quirky hamlet, surrounded by thick forests, also markets itself as California's "Bigfoot capital" and displays numerous wood carvings of the mythical creature.The last significant earthquake in the region was on April 25, 1992, when a magnitude 7.2 temblor struck on the Humboldt County coast near Petrolia, setting off a minor tsunami, according to the USGS.No tsunami warning was issued for the quake Tuesday night.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353299,00.html

As in the days of Noah...