3.8-Magnitude Quake Rattles San Francisco
PACIFICA, Calif. (AP) -- An earthquake rattled the San Francisco Bay area Monday afternoon on the 105th anniversary of the Great 1906 Earthquake.
The quake, with a magnitude of 3.7, hit about two miles southeast of Pacifica, or about 12 miles south of San Francisco at 2:57 p.m. Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. A preliminary report from the USGS had initially estimated the quake to have a 3.8 magnitude.
No structures were damaged and nobody was hurt, Pacifica police Capt. Jim Tasa said. Electrical service to about 10,000 homes and businesses in Pacifica was knocked out around 3 p.m., but was restored a little before 4:30 p.m., PG&E spokeswoman Monica Tell said.
Though the outage occurred at nearly the same time as the quake, its cause is still under investigation, Tells said.
Dozens gathered in San Francisco early Monday morning to commemorate the 1906 quake and ensuing fire, which killed thousands and destroyed much of the city. There are only three known survivors left of that devastating quake, and only one of them -- Bill DelMonte, who was just a few months old at the time -- was able to make this year's ceremony.
The event took place shortly after 5 a.m. at Lotta's Fountain, which was a gathering place for survivors in 1906. It included a moment of silence for the victims of Japan's earthquake and tsunami, and organizers collected American Red Cross donations for the relief effort.
Historians say Japan stepped forward in 1906 to help San Francisco's victims and gave $250,000 -- the most of any other country -- toward the city's recovery.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
