6.5 earthquake strikes off California coast

[Goldeneye]

(CNN) -- A 6.5-magnitude earthquake has struck off the shore of Northern California, leaving thousands of households without power.

The quake, which ran about 13.5 miles deep, hit offshore at 4:27 p.m. (7:27 p.m. ET) Saturday, about 33 miles from the coastal city of Eureka, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

About 25,000 customers, most of them in Humboldt County, were left without power Saturday evening, said Jeff Smith, spokesman for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. One gas leak in the county was also reported.

He said utility crews were patrolling the area to restore power.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or serious damage, according to local authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard in Humboldt County. A half a dozen aftershocks followed, the strongest at 4.5 magnitude.

Calls from concerned citizens were pouring into police and fire departments. Gary Bird, spokesman for the 28,000-population Eureka, said 25 responders were surveying the scene.

"We've got isolated water line breaks, power lines down, broken windows, unreinforced buildings that had some bricks fall off into the street," he said, adding that residents have been asked to stay inside.

Chris Durant, a reporter for the Times-Standard of Eureka, said he was working on the second floor of the newspaper's concrete building when he and his colleagues felt the quake.

"We are used to feeling small ones," he said, "but after the first few seconds, we looked at each other and said this is not a small one."

He said small chunks of plaster peppered the floor. Still, he said reports from the area indicate minor damage.

"[There's] not as much as you might think with a 6.5," he added, describing much of the damage as broken glass on storefronts and tiles on floors and ceilings popping.

"People are standing outside and talking with their neighbors, and, kind of like letting their nerves calm down," he said.

Eureka resident Cole Machado told CNN he was talking on the phone when he felt the ground shake.

"I thought my TV was going to fall over."

Ferndale resident Jessica Stephens Tucker described the movement from the temblor: "It rolled and rolled and then it slammed."

There was no tsunami warning issued.

A 6.5-magnitude quake is considered a "strong" temblor, according to CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras, who noted that about 120 are recorded worldwide each year.

Dave Magni, owner of the Ivanhoe Hotel in Ferndale, said, "We are sitting in a sea of booze" after the quake. He felt an aftershock while talking with CNN. "My employees are out in the parking lot right now," he added.

[katied]

There's been a lot more offshore earthquakes lately for some reason.

I've lived in California my entire life and was taught from a young age what to do during an earthquake.With age has come a sort of blase' attitude about earthquakes. I only find out we've had an earthquake after the fact(as an example-I heard what I thought was my neighbors moving furniture.A while later I was talking to my mom and she asked if I'd felt the earthquake. I put 2 and 2 together and realized what I thought was someone moving furniture was actually the earthquake! )