Napa Valley Earthquake

First Posting | Summary
Posting Date: September 4, 2000, 6:59:00 AM

A moderate earthquake, centered about 10 miles northwest of Napa, California, hit at 4:36 a.m. EDT on Sunday, September 3, 2000. The United States Geological Survey rated the quake at magnitude 5.2 and said it occurred at a depth of 9.4 kilometers. The quake was felt as far as 50 miles to the south, in San Francisco. Two smaller aftershocks, each less than magnitude 2, were also reported. This earthquake occurred near the northern end of the West Napa Fault. This fault has the potential to generate an earthquake of magnitude 6.5. The quake shattered windows, ruptured gas and Water mains, damaged chimneys in some homes, and caused sporadic power outages to about 10,000 customers in the area. About 25 people were treated for injuries. There were no reports of major structural damage. As the effected area is the heart of the California wine industry, the most significant damage will probably be to wine stocks and other contents of local wineries. AIR has run scenario events for this earthquake and based on these model simulations estimate minimal insured losses at this time. If any new information becomes available AIR will post any significant changes.

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Posting Date: September 4, 2000, 6:59:00 AM