A significant earthquake, registering 5.6 on the Richter scale, shook Northern California early Wednesday morning, causing products to tumble off shelves in various stores, as new footage illustrates.
The seismic event occurred at 8:10 a.m. in Mendocino County, located roughly 11 miles north of Redwood Valley and east of Willits, as reported by officials.
Stunning footage from Upper Lake Grocery captured the moment wine bottles crashed down, leading to spilled liquids and shattered glass scattered across the aisles.
One shop owner noted that the upheaval resulted in thousands of dollars’ worth of damage due to items being displaced from the shelves, according to reports.
Cesar Perez, an employee at Redwood Valley Market, shared with a local outlet that the earthquake wreaked “tremendous” havoc, particularly affecting the deli section.
Residents also noted that dishwashers opened on their own, drawers pulled out unexpectedly, and dishes broke during the fierce shaking.
Further video footage from the Willits store displayed a chaotic scene of fallen items across the aisles as the staff worked to manage the aftermath.
Several grocery stores temporarily closed while employees assessed any damage.
Initial reports indicated injuries, but despite the disturbances, officials stated no major damages were recorded, according to a Mendocino County Executive release.
The tremors were felt much farther than the epicenter, with people from parts of the Bay Area, spanning from Sonoma to Walnut Creek and down to San Jose, reporting shaking.
Power outages impacted thousands within the community, and some residents faced interruptions in their water services, based on PG&E’s outage map.
Following the quake, many Californians received an alert on their phones suggesting a 6.0 magnitude quake in Mendocino County, although later, this was adjusted to 5.6.
Approximately 80,000 individuals experienced moderate to strong shaking, while around 10 million people felt milder tremors, according to information from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Seismologists later indicated that this quake could be the main event in a series of 44 seismic activities.
As for aftershocks, the USGS estimates a 77% likelihood of at least one occurring, measuring 3.0 or greater, within the coming week, with more than a dozen aftershocks already logged by Wednesday, most under 2.5 in magnitude.
