Significant earthquakes of 1992

April 25, 1992 Earthquake: Ferndale, Petrolia, Humboldt County, California, United States

April 25, 1992 · M7.1 · $75 million

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Ferndale, Petrolia, Humboldt County, California, United States on April 25, 1992 at 18:06:04 UTC, 15 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.

Map

Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.

The earthquake

Date
April 25, 1992
Time
18:06:04 UTC
Place
Ferndale, Petrolia, Humboldt County, California, United States
Magnitude
7.1 (Ms)
Focal depth
15 km (9 mi)
Intensity
8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Epicenter
40.368° N, 124.316° W

The toll

Injuries
98
Damage
$75 million

Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

1992, April 25. Ninety-eight people injured and considerable damage in southwestern Humboldt County. Preliminary estimate of damage in this area from the series of earthquakes is 66 million U.S. dollars. Maximum intensities (VIII) at Ferndale, Honeydew, Petrolia, Rio Dell and Scotia; (VII) at Fortuna and Loleta; (VI) at Eureka. Landslides and rockfalls occurred in the Honeydew-Petrolia area. Liquefaction was noted in areas of the Eel and Mattole River Valleys. Felt throughout much of northern California as far south as San Francisco and southeast to Carson City and Reno, Nevada. Also felt in many areas of southern Oregon. Strong-motion records indicate peak horizontal accelerations of 1.3g at Cape Mendocino and 0.69g at Petrolia. A tsunami was generated with maximum wave heights (peak-to-trough) of 1.1 m. at Crescent City, 0.2 m. at Arena Cove and 0.17 m. at Pt. Reyes, California; 0.2 m. at Port Orford, Oregon; 0.15 m. at Kahului and 0.1 m. at Hilo, Hawaii. (reference #1053)

1992, April 25. $75 million damage, 94 people affected. (Reference #1250)

Photos

From the NCEI/WDS Natural Hazards Image Database (doi:10.7289/V5154F01). Only photos by the USGS and NOAA, which are public domain, are shown.

Garage slid down hill due to earth shaking
Garage slid down hill due to earth shaking This garage slid downhill due to shaking in Rio Dell, California (population 2,900). The garage extended out over the north bank of the Eel River. The garage was supported by a framework of wooden stilts. The stilts collapsed and the garage fell backwards from street level. Other buildings in the neighborhood had similar damage, but the damage was not as… Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
View of mall at Scotia that was destroyed by earthquake-caused fire
View of mall at Scotia that was destroyed by earthquake-caused fire View of a shopping mall at Scotia, California (population 1,000). The mall was destroyed by a fire on April 26. It is believed that the fire resulted from an electrical short caused by the earthquake. Before the fire, the mall consisted of five one- to two-story, wood-frame, commercial buildings including a lumber yard, pharmacy, coffee shop, grocery… Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Second view of Scotia mall
Second view of Scotia mall A second view of the shopping mall in Scotia. Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Support pillar on Scotia's Lumber Museum
Support pillar on Scotia's Lumber Museum A redwood support pillar shifted during the earthquake. This is the Lumber Museum, located on Scotia's Main Street, just across the street from the burned-out mall. Windows in the museum cracked or were broken. Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Damage to 70-year old house and chimney in Honeydew
Damage to 70-year old house and chimney in Honeydew Earthquake damage to a house and chimney in Honeydew, California. This wood-frame, stucco-veneer house (built in 1922) was severely cracked when the chimney pulled away from the house. The east-west sway of the structure caused the separation between the chimney and the house. The house was vacant at the time. The damage was typical of houses in the area.… Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Remains of Petrolia's business district after earthquake and fire
Remains of Petrolia's business district after earthquake and fire The remains of the business district in Petrolia, California. Downtown Petrolia (population 100) consisted of a post office, a 100-year-old general store, a gas station, and a volunteer fire station. The post office, gas station, and the general store burned to the ground in an earthquake-related fire. The first large shock jammed the door of the fire… Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Chimney damage in Petrolia
Chimney damage in Petrolia This brick chimney, typical of many others in Petrolia, toppled due to the severe shaking. Chimneys (even those with steel rods) were broken, or cracked. The fireplace inside this house was also shattered. Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Earthquake bounced this front-end loader one foot into the air
Earthquake bounced this front-end loader one foot into the air This large front-end loader, located in a residential neighborhood of Petrolia about three blocks east of the burned business district, reportedly bounced one foot into the air. On this same street, new homes of good construction were not damaged by the earthquake. Nearby, an older, wood-frame home was severely damaged when it moved off its foundation. Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Petrolia residence shifted on foundation
Petrolia residence shifted on foundation This Petrolia residence shifted on its foundation, causing the house to separate from the porch. Wooden skirting on the ground shows the direction of movement of the house. Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Residence south of Petrolia that shifted off foundation
Residence south of Petrolia that shifted off foundation This residence south of Petrolia shifted because the house was not anchored to the foundation. The structure, which was declared a total loss by insurance standards, shifted toward the northwest. A primitive post and pier foundation was common in the Petrolia area. This view shows separation of the porch from the rest of the structure. The house damage was… Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Second view of damage to residence south of Petrolia
Second view of damage to residence south of Petrolia The photo shows a three-foot displacement between the house and the porch (located in the upper left corner of the slide). It also shows the wooden skirting that covers the post and pier foundation and gives a close-up of the foundation. Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.
Third view of damage to residence south of Petrolia
Third view of damage to residence south of Petrolia Kitchen in the same house, after the earthquake. Appliances moved several inches away from the wall. Items were shaken off the shelves in the pantry, a room just off the kitchen. In other rooms, the damage was extremely variable. For example, a glass china cabinet in the living room was not damaged nor was its contents. Some windows were cracked, others… Photo: Lindie Brewer, U.S. Geological Survey.

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1992The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1992Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history

Sources

Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 5321.