Second Earthquake Hit Southern California
#EarthquakeLA pic.twitter.com/yDOOEYSk4j
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 6, 2019
A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake swayed buildings and cracked foundations in Southern California on Friday night, sending terrified residents sleeping on the streets a day after another temblor hit.
6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Southern California https://t.co/tNqLSjyVAf via @YouTube
— Helena Ereditsh (@ereditsh) July 6, 2019
It lasted longer than Thursday’s earthquake
Another Large Earthquake Hits Southern California | Coast 93.3 https://t.co/DScT5Z5Tvx
— Linda Higginson (@LindaHigginson4) July 6, 2019
Another Large Earthquake Hits Southern California | Coast 93.3 https://t.co/DScT5Z5Tvx
— Linda Higginson (@LindaHigginson4) July 6, 2019
What’s the damage?
#Earthquake(Update): Numerous gas leaks have been detected in the Trona and Argus areas. Firefighters have secured leaks where possible and evacuated residents from homes with leaks that cannot be secured. #SBCountyOES, #CERT, #ECS teams activated.
— SB County Fire (@SBCOUNTYFIRE) July 6, 2019
Fires have broken out and emergency services are responding to calls across the state after the quake.
“We’ve got fires, we’ve got gas leaks, we’ve got injuries, we’ve got people without power,” Ridgecrest Mayor Peggy Breeden told Reuters news agency. “We’re dealing with it as best we can.”
There have been no reports of serious injuries so far, Police chief Jed McLaughlin said at a press conference.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department said reports suggested “damage is more significant than yesterday’s quake”, and said they were tackling blazes and gas leaks.
Officials said it was still unclear how much damage had been caused and how many people had been injured in the state.
What do we know about the new quake?
After Thursday’s event, seismologists had been warning that aftershocks could continue for a prolonged period of time.
Ridgecrest resident Jessica Kormelink told AFP news agency the ground would stop shaking briefly before “rolling again”.
“I’m not comfortable inside,” she said.
BBC News – California earthquake: Larger 7.1 magnitude quake hits https://t.co/WP1bdiCSJm
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake has rattled parts of Southern California, the biggest tremor to strike in 20 years.— Jolly Mampilly (@jollymampilly) July 6, 2019
California is prone to earthquakes as it lies on a number of faults – regions where tectonic plates come together.
Quake raises fears of ‘the Big One’
Californians are on permanent alert for the ‘Big One’, a catastrophic earthquake that seismologists say is well overdue.
This latest series of quakes have caused relatively minor damage – that we are currently aware of – but they have rattled nerves, big time.
The latest was felt as far afield as Las Vegas in Nevada, Palm Springs to the east of Los Angeles, and Beverly Hills.
Another Large Earthquake Hits Southern California | Coast 93.3 https://t.co/DScT5Z5Tvx
— Linda Higginson (@LindaHigginson4) July 6, 2019
With a baseball game in progress at Dodger Stadium, in downtown LA, people fled from their seats as the building started to shake – although the players, apparently oblivious to what was happening, continued with the game.
This event serves as a wakeup call to residents of densely populated areas, like Los Angeles, that it is only a matter of time before the mighty San Andreas fault blows. A magnitude of 7.0 or higher in Los Angeles would likely cause widespread death and destruction.