Features

Earthquake, aftershocks shake up Truckee

The Associated Press
Monday December 04, 2000

TRUCKEE – Thousands of people were rudely awakened when a series of moderate earthquakes and aftershocks jolted this Sierra resort town early Saturday morning. 

No major damage or injuries were reported, but the largest quake measuring preliminary magnitude 4.8 was felt in Lake Tahoe, Reno, Nev., Sacramento and Placerville. 

The 7:34 a.m. quake, centered 14 miles northwest of Truckee, was followed over the next hour by four smaller aftershocks, including one measuring 3.2. Three small quakes hit later. 

Law enforcement authorities said the quakes caused little damage. A small bridge did collapse near Colfax and a house chimney toppled near Cisco Grove. 

“It’s fortunate that the quakes were centered near the (sparsely populated) Jackson Meadows area and away from populated areas,” said Nevada County sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Perea. 

Eric Lamoureux, a spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Services, said the quakes occurred on a previously unknown fault. 

“The state geologist doesn’t expect a larger quake from this fault at this point,” he said. “But it’s a wakeup call to a lot of people. It’s important to know that fault lines run up and down the Sierra and that these major quakes can happen anywhere and on faults not identified.” 

Despite the quakes, it was business as usual in downtown Truckee on Saturday as no damage was evident. Many people were in bed when the 4.8 quake hit. 

“It was a good quick jolt and I could hear the timber in the house creak. It woke me up,” Carl Brawley of Donner Lake said while eating breakfast at the Squeeze Inn. “If you live in California, you have to learn to surf the earth.” 

“It was like a wrestling match was going on in our home,” added Mark Lundbeck of Truckee. “You could feel everything sliding around. It was kind of fun.” 

At Tourist Liquor down the street, clerk Aaron Johnson was surprised not to find a single bottle on the floor when he arrived at work. The 4.8 quake woke him out of a sound sleep. 

“I thought maybe a car hit the cabin next to me,” he said. “It was like my bed was doing a circular motion. It hit real quick and then it was over.” 

Perea said he and other officers felt the strongest quake during their morning briefing. 

“We felt a little small jolt and then a big one,” he said. “We thought the phones would start ringing and sure enough they did.” 

The sheriff’s department received about 100 calls, most from residents wondering if a quake had indeed just struck. 

“We sent deputies out to different areas to see if there were any problems, but there were none. It’s just another day in paradise,” Perea said. “The houses up here are built to handle a pretty good snow load. They’ll take more jolting than houses in the (San Francisco) Bay area.” 

No power outages or disruptions in telephone service were reported. 

The 4.8 quake also woke up people in Reno, South Lake Tahoe and Grass Valley. 

Lamoureux said three quakes of magnitude 5 or more have rocked the Truckee area in the last 30 years, including a 6 temblor in 1966. They caused no major damage or injuries. 

“All I know is the earthquakes keep following me and I can’t get away from them,” added Brawley, who moved to the Sierra after the October 1989 Loma Prieta quake.