Temblor centered near Canyon Dam followed by dozens of aftershocks
The earth moved in Plumas County, and it was felt as far away as San Francisco.
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Bottles and cans lie smashed open on the floor after a 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook them off shelves into the aisles at Wally’s Peninsula Market in Lake Almanor on May 23. Wally’s wine room was also heavily damaged by the earthquake, but employees worked through the night to clean up the mess and opened their doors early Friday morning.Photo courtesy Wally’s Peninsula Market |
A 5.7 magnitude earthquake, centered near Canyon Dam, struck at 8:47 p.m. on Thursday, May 23. The temblor was followed by dozens of aftershocks, including a 4.9 jolt at 1:10 a.m. Friday.
It was the largest earthquake to hit area in nearly 40 years.
No injuries were reported. But the quake caused power outages, minor structural damage and rock slides and caused things to fall off of shelves.
Plumas County Office of Emergency Services Director Jerry Sipe said up to 600 homes in the Lake Almanor area were without power for several hours.
He added that the Lake Almanor Mutual Water Co. sustained a water main rupture, emptying the storage tank located at 600 Clifford Drive.
Lake Almanor Country Club office manager Bea Kohfeld said the line was damaged when the earthquake hit.
“The line from the water tank broke just before the shut-off valve and 360,000 gallons of water was emptied,” she said May 24.
The Clifford tank is one of four that supply the Lake Almanor Peninsula.
The tired firefighters of the Peninsula Fire Protection District were back at the 801 Golf Club Road station by 8:30 a.m. Friday morning to take a break from their night patrols.
