A 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked Southern California on Friday night — the second temblor to hit near Ridgecrest in less than two days.
The latest earthquake occurred 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest, according to the US Geological Survey. It rocked buildings and cracked foundations, sending jittery residents out on the streets.
It comes a day after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake centered near Ridgecrest rattled the state Thursday. That earthquake has produced more than 1,400 aftershocks, scientists said.
Multiple fires and injuries have been reported in Ridgecrest — about 150 miles from Los Angeles — after Friday’s earthquake, Kern County spokeswoman Megan Person said. The county has activated an emergency operations center, the fire department tweeted.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department said it has received multiple reports of damage from northwest communities in the county.
“Homes shifted, foundation cracks, retaining walls down,” the department said. “One injury (minor) with firefighters treating patient.”
Localized power outages in LA
In central Los Angeles, Friday’s earthquake felt stronger than the one a day earlier, making buildings rock back and forth forcefully. Donald Castle, who lives in Porterville west of Ridgecrest, said his house shook for between 20 and 25 seconds.
“It was more of a shake than what we had on the Fourth. It lasted longer and was more rolling,” he said.
Public safety units are being deployed throughout the city ” to ensure safety and inspect infrastructure,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said there were reports of wires down and localized power outages in some parts of the city. Fire crews are still surveying the city, it said, but no major damage to infrastructure has been identified so far.
The fire department is no longer in Earthquake mode and has determined there are no injuries or significant damage in Los Angeles city, chief Ralph M. Terrazas tweeted.
The shaking was felt in Mexico and Las Vegas
The shaking was felt as far as Mexico, according to the USGS website.
The NBA Summer League game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks in Las Vegas was postponed Friday following reports of the quake. Scoreboards and speakers near the ceiling of the arena shook when the earthquake hit.
Quakes are part of an ongoing system
CalTech seismologist Lucy Jones said Friday both earthquakes are part of an ongoing sequence, of a “very energetic system.”
The latest 7.1 earthquake was the mainshock, while Thursday’s 6.4 magnitude shake was a foreshock, according to Jones. She said Friday’s earthquake was 10 times stronger than the one a day prior.
The 7.1 magnitude shake was five times bigger than Thursday’s, but released 11 times the amount of energy than the 6.4 shake, CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller said.
Officials are not ruling out that there could be more earthquakes coming.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has activated the state emergency operation center to its highest level.
“The state is coordinating mutual aid to local first responders,” he tweeted Friday night.
