California quake shakes up stores and homes

A 5. 6-magnitude earthquake rattled Northern California Wednesday morning, toppling shelves and sending store aisles into chaos. The quake hit near Redwood Valley, close to Mendocino County, at 8:10 a. m. , shaking up residents and shoppers alike. In Upper Lake Grocery, video showed wine bottles tumbling off shelves, leaving aisles flooded with broken glass and spilled liquid. One shop owner estimated thousands lost in damage as products scattered everywhere. Beyond the mess, reports poured in about household items reacting strangely. Drawers flew open on their own, dishwashers popped open, and plates cracked under the strain. Stores in Willits faced a similar mess, with aisles buried under fallen goods. Some businesses shut temporarily while crews cleaned up the wreckage.The shaking didn't stay local. People felt tremors as far as the Bay Area, with reports from Sonoma to San Jose. Officials confirmed minor injuries and widespread disruptions, though no major structural damage was found. Power and water outages added to the problems, leaving thousands in the dark for hours. Residents got a heads-up just before the quake. Phones buzzed with ShakeAlert warnings moments before the temblor, though the message initially overestimated its strength at 6. 0. Later, the USGS corrected it to 5. 6. Still, about 80, 000 people felt strong shaking, while 10 million noticed weaker tremors. Seismologists later tied this quake to a string of 44 smaller quakes, labeling this event as the main shock. The event served as a reminder of California's shaky ground and how even moderate tremors can disrupt daily life in unexpected ways.