A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck central California Dec. 22, triggering the collapse of a two-story masonry commercial structure in downtown Paso Robles, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ron Alsop, spokesman for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Emergency Services, says two people were killed and one was missing at ENR press time. He reported "buckled roads and landslide damage" in the county. A bridge across the Salinas River was closed for closer inspection, and there was some damage to residential phone wires and gas lines. The Diablo Canyon nuclear powerplant declared "an unusual event," its lowest-level emergency.