Light quake shakes Humboldt coast

<p>SAN FRANCISCO — An earthquake rumbled early Saturday off the northern California coast and dozens of people in Humboldt County reported feeling it, the U.S. Geological Survey said.</p><p>The 4.6-magnitude temblor hit at 12:46 a.m. and was centered in the Pacific Ocean about 30 miles west of Ferndale.</p><p>USGS geophysicist Randy Baldwin said the temblor was lightly felt in area cities such as Eureka and Ferndale but wasn't strong enough to cause damage.</p><p>"Ferndale felt it the most," he said.</p><p>The agency's Web site had hits from more than 100 people in the area reporting they had felt light shaking from the quake.</p><p>The Humboldt County Sheriff's Department said it had no reports of any injuries or damage from the quake.</p><p>The same region was hit by a much more powerful 6.5 quake on Jan. 9, which seriously injured one person, caused minor injuries to more than 30 others, and damages to dozens of buildings with the toll reaching into the millions of dollars.</p><p>The area has frequent seismic activity. Over one 12-hour period between Wednesday night and Thursday morning alone, there were four temblors off the Humboldt coast ranging from magnitude 2.0 to 3.9, the USGS said.</p>