Napa Earthquake 2014: About 170 People Injured In Northern California

Update as of 1:04 a.m. EDT: The quake that hit Northern California early Sunday could cost the region about $1 billion in economic losses, reports said, citing estimates from the United States Geological Survey, or USGS.

While the tremor was minor by the state's historical standards, by Sunday evening, more than 10,000 people were without power and about 600 homes were without water, the New York Times reported.

“It is truly small — small compared to what California has experienced in its recorded history,” Ross S. Stein, a geophysicist at the USGS, told the Times.

Update as of 12:18 a.m. EDT: About 170 people have been admitted to hospital after a 6.0 magnitude quake triggered in the West Napa Fault -- about six miles south of Napa -- struck the region on Sunday at 3:20 a.m. local time, the Los Angeles Times reported. No deaths were reported and only six people suffered serious injuries, the report added.

However, the quake destroyed historic buildings and roads in the state's storied wine country, as well as damaged water and gas lines, the LA Times reported.

The 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck California Sunday injured more than 120 people, CNN reported. It was one of the strongest quakes to hit the area in 25 years.

Most of those hurt were treated for bruises and lacerations, then released from the emergency room at Queen of the Valley Hospital, hospital President Walt Mickens told the network. Six patients sustained critical injuries, including a young child who was hurt when a fireplace collapsed.

The earthquake occurred six miles southwest of Napa, California’s renowned wine country. California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency. "My Office of Emergency Services has been on full activation since early this morning and is working closely with state and local emergency managers, first responders and transportation officials to respond to impacts to residents and critical infrastructure,” he said in a statement. “These public safety officials are doing all they can to help residents and those living in affected areas should follow their guidance and instruction.”

The quake hit the region at around 3:20 a.m. PDT (6:20 a.m. EDT) and has been compared to the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989.

The earthquake in Nappa was the strongest “non-Alaska” temblor to hit the United States so far this year, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Usually, there are about five earthquakes of this magnitude in the two quake-prone states. Not all of them are newsworthy, but with 500,000 people without water and 120 people injured, the earthquake set Twitter abuzz Sunday. “Napaquake” a popular hashtag hundreds of netizens commented on.

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