it was violent and loud. >> now at 11:00, the rush to help a deadly northwest coast tonight. hi, i'm sara donchey. huge earthquakes that hit up in northern california. it was the most destructive earthquake to hit there in years. it was a magnitude 6.4 quake near ferndale up in humboldt county. two people dead. at least ten people got hurt. tens of thousands of people are still in the dark at this hour. now the quake hit at 2:34 in the morning, centered in the ocean not far from the coastline more than 250 miles north of san francisco. and then dozens of aftershocks, at least one of them was pretty big. higher

than a magnitude 4.0. manuel baroqoit who told him this was scary. >> i thought my house was going to fall down. >> reporter: we first firsthand the impact of the magnitude 6.4 quake, which struck humboldt county near the oregon border just after 2:30 this morning. >> i woke up to this. >> reporter: darren gallagher says when he walked outside his home in rio del. >> i opened my porch and it fell off. a dirt bike is holding that in. >> reporter: the road buckled near ferndale, a town of 1,300 residents to the epic center. >> we're talking about damage to homes. damage to critical infrastructure and lifelines. so water, power. >> reporter: but as powerful as this jolt was, the damage could have been much worse. hitting 11 miles beneath the surface. >> when it's released further down into the earth, some of the energy has a chance to die

down. >> reporter: most buildings held steady. >> you could fall over that are not bolted down. short of a collapse building on you or a building collapsing on you. but the potential of having a book shelf is high. >> reporter: perhaps most unsettling is that the 6.4 tumbler may just be a warning. >> unfortunately we have no way of telling whether this was a larger earthquake. we don't know, but this is a great reminder. >> here is another look at the damage. cracks on highway 211. that's the main road into ferndale. so cal trans has had to shut that down to fix it. the governor declared an emergency in humboldt county. and tonight, mason walker shows us the messes left behind. >> reporter: here on the western end of the fern bridge. i can tell you a lot of the damage that i saw today was to

the south of where i'm ofm ing the town of ferndale, themselv lucky. >>displays, all sunglasses are broken. >> reporter: in the picturesque town of ferndale, the quake was not far away. but for such a strong shake, the effects were not what some expected. >> it doesn't seem to be any structural damage. >> living the good life here, but you need to take these bumps. >> reporter: mayor brooks was clean up for the second time this year. like many others, he/she was drawing comparisons. >> it wasn't as bad as last year. last year the fridge spilled. >> this year it felt harder. it felt like a bigger quake. the damage was a little bit less. >> reporter: cam on ritter is

one of those trying to figure out why there wasn't more to clean up. for him this was almost a pleasant surprise. >> i was expecting it to be way worse than it was. >> i'm coming down to take some videos of the bridge. i've lived here my entire life. >> reporter: the big lingering moment in this region. that bridge is the whole link to the community. >> it would be devastating for our community. it really would. it's all we get to come in and out. there's a couple of other ways, but they call it the lost coast for a reason. >> reporter: a bit more on the bridge. there were a lot of cal trans workers out here today looking at that bridge, crawling all over it. a lot of folks down here on the western end under the landing section of the bridge. but a lot of

attention being paid out to the big arches under there. look at where they are looking at the cracks. you see the chess board pieces. it's a good indication that the crack was there before. what they're doing now is checking out whether things have changed dramatically after the shaking this morning. a structure is a lot to look at for that bridge. >> that was wilson walker reporting for us. and josh diaz hosts a youtube show out of his house. he lives in yreka. he was home at his computer, editing video when the shaking hit. he said it was violent, stronger than he had ever felt before. he ran to a doorway hoping it would stop. >> i've been in a lot of earthquakes. it's the craziest earthquake i've ever been a part of. i could hear the power going out. i was looking up and then the power went out and everything went black while we're still shaking.

>> so thankfully josh and his family and pets were okay. their house wasn't damaged. paul heggen is here. everyone in the piece sounds like an earthquake expert because they have been through this before. >> i mean practice just gives you the expertise of having done this before. close enough to do a lot of damage. let's talk about the aftershocks because there has been a lot. this is the center of where it occurred. this is the updated map. every dot on this map is an individual aftershock magnitude 1.0 or greater. and a number of these aftershocks have been noticeable just on their own. magnitude three or greater. there have been 113 aftershocks so far. of course, these can continue for days, sometimes even weeks after the initial earthquake. this occurred towards where it bent out in the pacific and kind of thinking about the delta where

they fall out. and then that triggers all the other aftershocks that we have been experiencing in that part of california farther out within the fault system. this is just a reminder that we do live in earthquake country and it is always a good idea to be ready for something like this or potentially something even stronger, sara? >> that news is always a little concerning. all right, paul. thank you so much. given the epic center was out in the pacific. you might have wondered why didn't it cause a tsunami warning? we talked to a scientist who told us there is a simple explanation for that. >> it's when we get the bigger earthquakes where one plate is going down underneath another one where you get these big vertical reactions in the crust. if the crust springs back up, that's what pushes it up a column of water and causes the tsunami. this wasn't large enough and didn't have enough of the vertical motion to cause a tsunami. >> certainly that's good news.

we'll be keeping a close eye on the situation in humboldt county all night for you. stay with cbs news bay area and kpix.com for continuing coverage. still ahead tonight, how a bay area judge made her decision to deny scot peterson a new murder trial and also coming up. >> a classic holiday show live you've never seen. the san francisco ballet is getting ready to debut the first ever nutcracker tailored to those with autism and special needs. we'll take you there. the record setting signee. carlos was never introduced. the update on why correa's welcome party was canceled. michelle obama

today a san mateo county judge rejected a new murder trial for scot peterson. nearly 20 years ago he was charged of dumping the bodies of his wife, lacey, and their unborn child in the san francisco bay. he says the jury was tainted because they lied about history of abuse. the judge ruled the juror did not have a bias against peterson. one of peterson's attorneys tell cbs news they were disappointed in this ruling that the case isn't over. they have new evidence proving peterson did not murder his wife. three east bay cookie shops have been fined for violating child labor laws. they're all

franchises of the company crumbl. they're all facing thousands of dollars in fines now. some of the violations include working teenagers more hours than are allowed. making them operate dangerous ovens and equipment. well crumbl cookie sent us a statement saying they are working to figure out what happened at each of those stores. it has been less than two months since elon musk took over twitter. safe to say a lot has happened. he cut the company in half. he disbanded the trust and safety counsel. he banned some journalists, and he welcomed president trump back on the platform. after all of that, a poll he ran said musk would ultimately step down as ceo. today he tweeted i will resign as ceo as soon as i find someone foolish enough to take the job. after that i'll just run the software and servers team. so who would want to take on the job? we'll take a look at it later on in the broadcast. all right, the air looks, how do we say, a little gross

outside today here in the bay area? check out all the haze as the sun was setting this evening. this was a couple of days in a row of this. not good. >> no. it is all just from chimney smoke and all wood burning stoves and fireplaces, and of course, the big picture that will trap it at ground level and kind of concentrates. this is what we need is some rain to scrub that stuff. >> uh-oh. >> out of the atmosphere. >> yeah. >> there's at least some good news in that regard. we do have a mix of clouds and hazy sunshine in the forecast once again in this area. the air is trapping that chimney smoke at ground level. things will shift a little bit. there is a chance for showers to make a run through the bay area on late thursday, mainly thursday night into friday. this is going to be very light. it's going to be hit-or-miss stuff. not everybody will get measurable rainfall, but a chance to clean up the atmosphere a bit. all we're going to see for the rest

of tonight is a mix of clouds and haze. we'll see the mix of clouds and hazy sunshine tomorrow, but dry during the day. maybe a sprinkle for the north bay. but the better chance for showers will hold off until late thursday. increasing clouds tomorrow night. we'll be tracking more cloud cover throughout the day on thursday. in fact more clouds than sunshine. and the chance for showers will move into the north baby thursday evening across the rest of the bay area fairly quickly later thursday evening into thursday night and again, i think futurecast is probably overdoing the intensity of this. it will be hit or miss activity. if you get a shower, it won't last very long or add up to very much. but there's a chance those showers do continue into at least the first half of the day on friday. better rain chances farther down the line and we need it to scrub that stuff out of the atmosphere. the air quality was mostly in the moderate category. the purple air sensors are different than the epa sensors. but they give us a sense of what things are like, which you can see it. tomorrow, mostly moderate air quality anticipated. no spare

the air alert, but the smudge on the horizon will be there. better rain chances down the line. we're focused on the north bay because you have the best chance of rain overall on thursday night into friday. but a much better chance for rain in the entire bay area next monday night into tuesday. that's the beginning of the prolonged stretch of unsettled weather. the long range data, the 6 to 10-day outlook from the climate prediction center and the 8 to 14-day outlook, which would take us into early january so she felting a significant chance of wetter than average conditions, carrying us right on into 2023. a parade of storm systems, hopefully bringing much needed rain to the bay area. in the short term, we are still dry right now. temperatures are cooling off mostly in the low to mid-40s. a few spots down to 37 degrees already in livermore. to begin the day tomorrow, closer to normal for this time of the year. close to normal for tomorrow's high temperatures as well. in the upper 50s and the low 60s. the low 60s, a couple of degrees below average for that change

and more of that warm air to come once we get past the chance for light showers. we're in for a dry and warm christmas weekend. both christmas eve on saturday and christmas day on sunday. it will bring us high temperatures in the low to mid-60s. sunday will be the warmer half of christmas weekend. christmas day could bring upper 60s to parts of the bay area. and then the good chance of showers in the forecast by tuesday. hopefully the beginning of a long stretch of the parade of storm systems as we mentioned earlier with more rain for the bay area. charlie? all right, it was suppose to be a big day for giants baseball. carlos correa was suppose to be holding that jersey up today. the press conference taking questions. instead, silent night. correa was never introduced. why the giants shortstop missed to. and also coming up, elon musk challenging someone foolish enough to take the helm at twitter. so who is stepping up to the plate? we scour

twitter to find out. [narrator] everyone needs quality health insurance, even if you're healthy and active. covered california is a free service to help you get covered. 90% of members have received financial help and every plan offered is comprehensive, covering preventive care, doctor visits, emergency care, and more. regardless of your income, check today to see how covered california can help you. and if you have questions, there's free assistance every step of the way. covered california, this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31st at coveredca.com.

i have something for you. [whistles] hi. [joyful laughter] i have something for you to. [whistles] ♪♪ ♪♪ it's the holiday's, get 2.9% apr and no monthly payments for 90 days on turbo high-output engine sierra light duty models. plus, current eligible gmc owners get $2,500 purchase allowance.

okay, so i saw this headline this morning and i'll admit i got a little nervous. >> when there is smoke there is fire. the last you want to hear. but at the same time, you want to vet someone if you're giving out a record setting contract. make sure they're healthy. the giants were scheduled to introduce new star carlos correa this morning. the press conference was postponed less than three hours before it was set to begin. not a good sign. according to reports, the team flagged a medical issue during correa's physical. here is the good news and the bad news. it's not known yet how serious the issue could be. the two-time all star agreed to a 13-year $350 million deal last week. largest contract in team's history. nba, steph curry rocking a diet starts monday shirt. warriors and knicks at the garden, jordan poole got it going early. the steal up ahead. warriors down 4 at that

point. all knicks in the second half. jalen brunson sets up julius randle. the hoop and the harm. knicks cruising at that point. warriors just having to stand a chance on the road here now 3-15. the warriors didn't lose 15 games until february. knicks at a lapper 132-104. golden state heads over to brooklyn to play the nets tomorrow. famous idaho potato bowl. san jose state and eastern michigan. some potatoes and sacks. quarterback chef cordero to justin lockhart for the touchdown. then the eagles started flying up and down the field. eastern michigan rattled off 30 straight to that point. eagles win it 41-27. the spartans finish the year with a 7-5 record. hockey, calgary fell behind in the first 30 seconds, but

the sharks tied it up in the third. cadri sticks it in for his first two goals of the night. all flames from there. calgary 7, san jose 3. that's three losses in a row for the sharks. and finishing with stanford women hoops. their fans have good reason to dance. the cardinals, the no. 2 team in the country. just made the 21st ranked creighton team look not good. hailey jones with the reverse there. stanford up 19 in the third quarter. the final score of this one not an indicator of how one sided this game was. stanford 72, creighton 59. good times for the women down there on the farm, sara. >> dominating. >> dominating as always. >> all right, thank you so much, charlie. up next, the san francisco valley making magic for people with special needs. why the legendary company is putting on a nutcracker.

- life is uncertain. it's okay to feel stressed, anxious, worried, or frustrated. calhope can help. access calhope's free and secure mental health resources today. call our warm line at 833-317-4673 or live chat at calhope.org.

- life is uncertain. with calhope's free and secure mental health resources, it's easy to get the help you and your loved ones need when you need it the most. call our warm line at (833) 317-4673 or live chat at calhope.org today.

every december the san tcrackfor the first time it will present a special version of the holiday classic that accommodates children and families with special needs. betty yu has a preview for us. >> reporter: for the first time in its nearly 90-year history, the san francisco ballet is preparing to debut their first ever sensory performance of the nutcracker. one long-time dancer that will be on this stage wednesday says this show takes on an extra special meaning for her. when the curtain lifts on wednesday, san francisco ballet dancers will dazzle the sold out crowd with the magic of the nutcracker. in the audience will be families

with children of special needs. 20-year-old dancer pemberly olsen will perform the role of party parent in act one. >> for me when i watch this exact production of the kid to change my childhood and made me want to become a ballet dancer when i was younger. >> reporter: during the prepandemic sensory or autism workshop. she was especially touched by a young girl. pictured here, who wasn't able to see the full show ats the opera house. >> i remember having this girl attached hip to hip with me the entire day. she had that spark in her eye. i could tell she wanted to come watch us. not just in the studio doing a little small performance as a snowflake, but she wanted to see the entire show. >> reporter: the san francisco ballet and the autism society san francisco bay area began collaborating on workshops and relaxed stress rehearsals. cure rated for people with autism,

sensory sensitivities, or physical, developmental disabilities since 2015. other potentially startling moments will be removed or modified. the house lights will be kept on during the entire show. among the changes to the theater's experience, guests will also be free to move, talk, or dance as they please throughout the show. there will be designated movement areas. quiet spaces, kindness ambassadors, even opportunities to meet the dancers. >> for me when i was watching, i connected with certain dances. i told my parents i want to be like that person one day or i want to dance like her or him. and i hope these kids are able to say those things. >> reporter: the idea is for it to be a relaxed shush-free and shame-free environment. >> i'm getting calls from parents, from family members, from people who have come to the ballet for a long time, but never felt they could bring their entire family. and so

it's really a sense of joy during the holiday season. it's thinking about how the arts can bring people together. >> reporter: she said she usually doesn't know who is in the audience during her performances. but on wednesday? >> i will be smiling extra hard just for all those kids because i know they're smiling all the way over there in the back. >> so this show is truly open to everyone. the general public is, of course, welcome to attend wednesday's showing of the nutcracker. if you are curious about what might be a little bit learn, here is what you can expect. the lights won't be turned down all the way. they won't be completely dark. ushers won't be shushing the audience if they react in way. and audience members can make whatever sound they want. and they will actually pass out small toys for members of the

audience. all really nice tools for people. well up next, he led twitter for about two months, but it took an online poll for elon musk to throw in the towel. now the hunt is on for a new twitter boss. the people ugh, this rental car is so boring to drive. let's be honest. the rent-a-car industry is the definition of boring. and the reason can be found in the name itself. rent - a - car? you don't want a friend.

you want the friend. you don't want a job. you want the job. the is always over a. that's why we don't offer a car. we offer the car. ( ♪♪ ) sixt. rent the car. now, it's official. ( ♪♪ ) xfinity has the fastest internet and the fastest mobile service. that's right, xfinity just increased internet speeds... again! and xfinity mobile gives you can't-catch-me speeds. plus, save hundreds on internet for your first two years when you add mobile. the fastest internet, the fastest mobile service, and major savings? can't argue with the facts. get gig speed internet for $50 a month for 2 full years when you add xfinity mobile with unlimited data. plus, get $200 back. switch today!

so now that elon musk is looking for a replacement to be twitter's next ceo. a surprise to some, not to others. who would want to do the job? >> everybody step forward. >> it depends. >> charlie is available. >> we were wondering this question as we went to twitter to check things out. this user tweeted musk saying he is 100%

serious about taking over twitter. he added he needs a job, and doesn't mind being hated. he has something to tell you about your car's extended warranty. >> rapper and producer juicy j, a friend of a friend by the way. i'm serious about that part. okay, he tweeted saying he would keep the app crazy lit. i believe that. >> okay. >> i believe that. [ laughter ] >> this user is actually our executive producer. >> who has only worked here far couple of months. >> apparently putting a resume out there. >> we've already driven her away. >> asking where she can send it. i'm not sure about how the big boss will feel about that one. >> what's going on. >> this one is my favorite. remember this guy, tom anderson? >> full circle. >> full circle, right? tom from my space, he co-founded that. known to be the first friend when you joined my space. he said what about him? >> i wondered if he has aged

from the photo. >> as long as he keeps the nazis off the site, fine. >> that would be an improvement. >> that's top one. >> thank you captioning sponsored by cbs >> democrats take a victory lap after winning key races in nevada and arizona, giving them control of the senate for the next two years. >> democrats celebrating a narrow victory after beating the odds and defying history to secure the majority in the senate. ( sung to "all i do is win" ) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪