Info on Paso Robles Earthquake

[Guest guest]

{Editorial note: one fatality confirmed thus far, 1345 hrs.}

<http://www.bakersfield.com/newsalert/story/4431624p-4458391c.html>UPDATE:

6.5 quake topples buildings in Paso Robles; unspecified injuries reported

The Associated Press

Monday December 22, 2003, 01:27:00 PM

CAMBRIA - An

<http://www.data.scec.org:3128/recenteqs/Maps/121-36.html>earthquake

estimated at magnitude 6.5 rocked California from Los Angeles to San

Francisco on Monday, collapsing downtown buildings in one town near the

epicenter, causing several unspecified injuries in the region and a

widespread blackout.

The main shock at 11:16 a.m. was centered 10.7 miles north of Cambria and

was immediately followed by at least five aftershocks of magnitude larger

than 3.3. The largest, an estimated magnitude-4.7, hit at 11:26 a.m.,

according to preliminary data from the U.S. Geological Survey.

A block of old buildings in downtown Paso Robles collapsed onto their first

floors, police Sgt. Bob told KNBC-TV Los Angeles. Initial television

images from the scene showed the buildings slumped but still standing amid

debris.

Paso Robles is a town of 25,000 about 20 miles east of the epicenter.

Several people were also reported hurt by falling barrels at a winery, San

Obispo County authorities said.

Firefighters responded to a fire within Cambria, but it was unclear if it

was related to the quake, said fire information spokesman Gilbert Portillo.

Everything else seems to be little things, like medical aid and some gas

leaking,Portillo added.

Approximately 10,000 homes and businesses were without power in the San

Obispo area, said , spokesman for Pacific Gas and Electric.

It was pretty sharp,said Sharyn Conn, receptionist at the oceanside Cypress

Cove Inn in Cambria. It really went on and on. I just got everyone under

the door frames and rode it out.

Cambria is a town of 6,200 on the northern coast of San Obispo County,

where some 250,000 people live. The areas major landmark is Hearst Castle

at San Simeon, the estate of the late publisher Randolph Hearst.

Hearst Castle reported no obvious damage and no injuries, but was

evacuated, said Roy Stearns, spokesman for the state Department of Parks

and Recreation.

Their first quick review, they didnt see anything serious,said Stearns. But

a crew was being organized to go through each of the castles 150 rooms to

look more carefully.

The only known damage was a blown transformer in the campground below the

hill, Stearns said.

The quake rocked the 20-story federal courthouse in San Francisco, 165

miles to the northwest of the epicenter. Upper floors in that building

swayed for about 30 seconds. It was felt as a sustained but gentle rolling

motion in downtown Los Angeles, 185 miles southeast of Cambria. It was also

felt to the east in the Central Valley cities of Fresno and Bakersfield.

The quake was felt in the control room of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power

plant operated by Pacific Gas & Electric. said there appeared to be

no damage to the plant and that it was functioning normally, but officials

will conduct a walkthroughto determine if there was any damage.

Lucy , scientist in charged of the U.S. Geological Survey office in

Pasadena, said the quake struck in the San Simeon fault zone. The zone is

criss-crossed with multiple thrust faults. It was not immediately clear on

which faults the quake occurred.

Well need a geologist out in the field before we can pinpoint which

one, said.

A 15-mile segment of the fault ruptured from the north to the southeast,

said.

The multiple aftershocks occurred to the southeast of the main shock.

said the faults in the area were mapped prior to the construction of Diablo

Canyon.

In a earthquake on a thrust fault, one block is pushed upward against

another block, as if moving up a ramp. Mondays quake was the same general

type of quake as 1994s Northridge earthquake, said Tom Heaton, professor of

earthquake engineering at the California Institute of Technology.

This probably shook strong enough you would expect all kinds of damage to

the contents of houses,Heaton said. He added landslides were also possible.

San Obispo County sheriffs Sgt. Pete Hodgkin said damage reports were

trickling in.

Its the usual stuff, broken glass and stuff. Havent heard anything serious.

Some people are hurt at the Wild Horse Winery, some wine barrels fell over.

I dont know anything more.

Its kind of hectic. It felt like a big one, like the San Francisco

earthquake years ago. The lights went out. Were on emergency power here. We

felt some small ones earlier but no body believed us.

In the Santa area of Santa Barbara County, just south of San

Obispo County, there were no reports of structural damage or injuries, said

sheriffs Sgt. Clive .

When it hit it was quite a roll.... They all stood in doorways, said.

Superintendent Pamela Martens of the Coast Unified School District in

Cambria said school was adjourned for the holidays and there were no

reports of injuries among staff.

Right now were seeing things off the shelf and all over the place.

Computers are down,she said.

[end pasted text from BAKERSFIELD news]

Additional editorial note: I am going to be spending Christmas and a few

days afterwards IN Paso Robles, where my best friend lives. (She's without

power and there's a bunch of stuff that fell over in her house, but she and

her pets are fine.) I'll check with our friend Lori and the others

at Paso Robles PD, too.

Happy to be here, proud to serve.

Olmstead

Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor

~somewhere on the Central CA coast~

http://www.gryeyes.com

[not presumed to be a statement of my employing agency]