A magnitude 6.5 hit the central valley of California at 11:15am PDT on a series of faults that run parallel to the San Andreas Fault. Dozens of aftershocks have occurred, some as strong as 4.6.
The quake was centered 10.7 miles north of Cambria, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
There are some reports of damage. 3 buildings in Paso Robles have collapsed and 2 deaths have been confirmed. Many streets have buckled, and phone lines are down.
Preliminary Earthquake Report
U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California
U.C. Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, Berkeley, California
A strong earthquake occurred at 19:15:56 (UTC) on Monday, December 22, 2003.
The magnitude 6.5 event has been located in CENTRAL CALIFORNIA.
The hypocentral depth was estimated to be 8 km ( 5 miles). (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)
11 km (6 miles) NE (49°) from San Simeon, CA
17 km (10 miles) N (356°) from Cambria, CA
20 km (13 miles) W (260°) from Lake Nacimiento, CA
39 km (24 miles) WNW (283°) from Paso Robles, CA
195 km (121 miles) SSE (158°) from San Jose City Hall, CA
