Remembering the 1984 Morgan Hill Earthquake

On April 24, 1984 at 1:15 p.m. PST, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake occurred on the Calaveras fault to the east of San Jose, California. This earthquake was felt over an area of approximately 120,000 km2 in California and western Nevada. The area of moderate damage ($8 million) extended southward from the epicenter rather than centering on the epicenter. This pattern indicates that the Morgan Hill earthquake may have been a double event with the second event being located about 17 km southeast of the main shock.

In Santa Clara County, where most of the damage occurred, more than 550 structures incurred minor damage. Major structural damage was mainly confined to a very small area on two streets of the Jackson Oaks subdivision located east of Morgan Hill (population 19,000). Five houses were condemned; two of these had fallen off their concrete foundations and suffered partial collapse. Several masonry buildings on Main Street in Morgan Hill were damaged and later condemned. Well-engineered industrial buildings and residential structures sustained only minor damage, but many mobile homes fell off their supports causing considerable damage to the furnishings inside. There were many reports of fires resulting from the quake. Minor damage also occurred at San Martin and Coyote. Twenty-seven people were injured.

Small Quake Hits off the Coast of Northern California

Associated Press - Petrolia, CA (April 6, 2007)

A small quake struck off the coast of Humboldt County on Thursday afternoon (4/5/07), but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damages.

The magnitude-4.1 earthquake struck at 3:54 p.m. and was centered about 40 miles southwest of Eureka and 206 miles northwest of Sacramento, according to the U.S. Geological Survey

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, according to a spokeswoman for the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department.

Solomon Islands: Six dead from tsunami

From the CNN

"At least six people died in the Solomon Islands Monday after two earthquakes and a tsunami hit the western part of the island-chain nation, the country's chief spokesman said.....

The United States Geological Survey said the first earthquake took place at 6:40 a.m. (2040 GMT on Sunday) and was centered 25 miles south-southeast of Gizo, New Georgia Islands, and 1,330 miles north-northeast of Brisbane, Australia.A second quake of 6.7 magnitude hit a few minutes later, according to the USGS. It was centered 75 miles west-southwest of Chirovanga, Choiseul, Solomon Islands, and 1,410 miles north of Brisbane, Australia.

The quakes led to a tsunami warning for a huge part of the Pacific. Australia and Indonesia were among the areas named in a warning from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, as were Papua New Guinea and several other islands in the region.A watch was issued for some other parts of the Pacific, including New Zealand, the Philippines, American Samoa, Guam and Fiji.

Initially, Hawaii was put under an advisory, but not a watch or warning. By evening, the advisory was lifted. The Solomon Islands are popular with international tourists. Most homes in the mountainous islands are constructed of timber and bamboo, with villagers relying on fishing and logging for employment."