There was a 6.0 magnitude earthquake near Napa at 3:20 am Pacific Daylight Time on August 24. This article is to provide information about the Napa quake from local perspective. Latest report at 2:30 pm says 120 people were injured, three seriously.
How You Can Help
I always recommend donating to the local chapter of the American Red Cross. In this case, it’s the Napa Valley Chapter. Also, of course, buy some Napa wine.
The Official Word on the Napa Quake
First, damage seems to be limited to the southern Napa Valley southeast to Vallejo. The U.S. Geologic Survey maintains a crowdsourced “did you feel it?” map on their website. Here’s what it looked like around 1o am:
USGS Crowdsourced Map
USGS also has a traditional seismic activity map:
USGS Shake Map
Damage to Wineries and Wine-Related Businesses
To add insult to injury, a statue of Bacchus toppled at Ceja Vineyards:
Ceja Vineyards Bacchus Toppled
The wine library at Scholium took a hit:
Scholium Library
Barrels as pick-up-sticks at Matthiasson:
Matthiasson Barrel Jumble
Most wineries that reported collapsed barrel racks also noted that the barrels were pretty much intact. In a few cases, bungs popped out so there was some loss.
This photo from the Silver Oak Winery has gone viral.
Silver Oak
Retailers were hit hard:
[portfolio_slideshow include=”3718,3717,3708″]Napa’s “newest wine bar, Cadet” estimates losses between $15,000 and $20,000 from wine inventory.
Cadet Wine Bar
Damage to Houses and Office Buildings
Damage to houses and office buildings was extensive, especially in downtown Napa. (If you’re not familiar with the area, the city of Napa is actually not the center of wine activity in the Napa Valley. That honor goes to the nearby city of St. Helena.)
Kitchen Wreck
Chimney Wreck
Chimney and Fence Wreck
Crack Reported Ten Feet Deep
But Some People Found a Silver Lining
At least one skateboarder found a use for a buckled street:
Skateboarder
