2nd Temblor in 12 Days Hits Near Eureka

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake rattled Eureka and the nearby communities of Ferndale and Fortuna on Monday night, the U.S. Geological Survey said Tuesday.

The quake was the second moderate temblor to strike off the Humboldt County coast in the last 12 days.

The quake, which hit at 7:29 p.m., was centered 13 miles under the Pacific Ocean, about 20 miles northwest of Punta Gorda and 35 miles southwest of Eureka.

Neither damage nor injuries were reported from the jolt, which was felt from Eureka as far south as the Mendocino County coast.

The quake, like a magnitude 5.1 temblor that hit farther out to sea west of Eureka on Aug. 15, was located in the “triple junction” area, where the Gorda and North American tectonic plates intersect with the northern end of the San Andreas fault.

The Geological Survey said 68 people -- including 19 in Eureka, 15 in Ferndale and 11 in Fortuna -- visited its Web site to report feeling the quake lightly.