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The Ridgecrest Quake-3% Chance of a Mag 7 Again this Week Says USGS

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LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Urban search and rescue teams from the Los Angeles
and Los Angeles County fire departments and Orange County Fire Authority
were deployed this morning in Ridgecrest to assist authorities there in
assessing damage to homes and businesses following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake.
“These veteran LAFD responders are proud emissaries of the people of
Los Angeles, and eager to leverage considerable skill in helping the people of
Kern County,” said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team 136
and Hazardous Materials Team 811 were sent to Ridgecrest Friday night,
according to Inspector Brian Stevens.
A heavy rescue apparatus and urban search and rescue support vehicle
with six firefighters left Friday night for Ridgecrest, the OCFA said.
The powerful quake struck about 8:16 p.m. Friday, about 9 miles west-
southwest of Searles Valley and occurred on the same fault that produced a
magnitude 6.4 foreshock on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
There were no reports of serious damage in Los Angeles and surrounding
cities.
Many aftershocks followed, the majority between magnitude 3 and 4. The
USGS estimated a 3% chance of another earthquake of magnitude 7 or greater
striking the region within the next week. The chance of a quake of magnitude 6
or higher was estimated at 27%, and it is most likely that as many as two such
quakes will occur. The chance of a magnitude 5 or higher quake is 96%, with as
many as eight likely to occur, the USGS said.
Seismologists say they anticipate between 240 and 410 quakes of
magnitude 3 or higher.
“Prepare yourself for the next week to two weeks, this isn’t going to
stop in the near future,” Ridgecrest Police Chief Jed McLaughlin told
residents late Friday night.
Only minor injuries, “cuts and bruises,” were reported in
Ridgecrest. The city’s water system is intact without contamination and the
hospital is under a “shelter in place” order until the integrity of the
building can be assessed, McLaughlin said.
Many residents of Ridgecrest were sleeping outside — fearful to be in
their homes — choosing to be with their neighbors in their driveways and
in the streets, according to Mayor Peggy Breeden.
“It is not an impossible task to take care of all of this, but it is
going to be a larger task than we thought the other day,” Breeden said.
At least 1,100 Southern California Edison customers in Ridgecrest were
without power as of 3 a.m., the utility reported.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported an outage in Encino
that was suspected of being quake-related had knocked out power to 1,000
customers.
The earthquake was felt as far away as Las Vegas, forcing stoppage of
an NBA Summer League game and at Dodger Stadium, where the Los Angeles Dodgers
were facing the San Diego Padres. It was the largest in Southern California
since a 7.1 quake in 1999 hit the Hector Mines area of the Mojave Desert.
Cracked buildings and injuries were reported in Kern and San
Bernardino counties, ABC7 reported.
In Ventura County, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake was declared
not mission-capable, according to a post on the base’s Facebook page, although
it remained accessible for mission-essential personnel only.
Gov. Gavin Newsom requested a presidential emergency declaration for
direct federal assistance to further support emergency response and recovery in
impacted communities and activated the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
to its highest level. The state is coordinating mutual aid to local first
responders, Newsom said.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore said there have been
no reports of damage on the Metro rail system. Metrolink officials reported
delays on various lines due to crews inspecting tracks throughout the system,
but there were no immediate reports of damage.
Officials at Los Angeles International Airport said there are no
initial reports of damage or injuries and no reports of any flight delays.

CNS-07-06-2019 10:14

A second earthquake hit Southern California in as many days. It’s 11 times stronger than Thursday’s
By Christina Maxouris, Chris Boyette and Paul Vercammen, CNN

A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake swayed buildings and cracked streets and foundations in Southern California on Friday night, sending terrified residents into the streets a day after another quake hit.

The latest earthquake Friday struck 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest, according to the US Geological Survey. It was five times bigger and 11 times stronger than Thursday’s 6.4 -magnitude earthquake, also centered near Ridgecrest, CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller said.

There’s been an average of one aftershock per minute since Friday’s quake in the southern part of the state, according to the US Geological Survey website.

Gas leaks caused structure fires throughout Ridgecrest, residents reported water main breaks, and power and communications were out in some areas, according to Mark Ghilarducci, director of the Governors’ Office of Emergency Management.

Several injuries were reported, according to Kern County spokeswoman Megan Person, but Kern County Fire Chief David Witt told reporters there were no known fatalities.

About 130 residents from Bakersfield and Trona were staying in a temporary shelter, Person said.

“On behalf of all Californians, I offer my heartfelt support to those affected by tonight’s earthquake near Ridgecrest,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday.

The governor declared a state of emergency in Kern County on Thursday after the 6.4 -magnitude earthquake and in San Bernardino late Friday after the 7.1-magnitude earthquake. Newsom also said he requested a presidential emergency declaration for assistance.

No power or water in San Bernardino town

The San Bernardino County Fire Department said it received multiple reports of damage as well from northwest communities.

“Homes shifted, foundation cracks, retaining walls down,” the department said. “One injury (minor) with firefighters treating patient.”

Trona, a town of 2,000 people, does not have power or water, San Bernardino County Fire spokesman Jeremy Kern told CNN. Workers had been restoring power from the initial earthquake when Friday’s disrupted power again.

Both earthquakes disrupted the main water system. Officials are bringing in water to residents and fire teams.

No injuries have been reported in the town.

‘You couldn’t stand… without falling over’

Ridgecrest resident Jaye Krona said the earthquake felt like her “rocking chair gone crazy.”

“We had to sit down or crawl on hands and knees to get around because you couldn’t stand up and be in an upright position without falling over,” Krona said.

Krona and her friend Kelly-Jo Lewis spent the night outside on Lewis’ driveway.

“With everything shaking, things are falling. It’s just not safe,” Lewis said. “I felt safer outside, and I felt me and her were safer together being in pairs.”

It lasted longer than Thursday’s earthquake

Bakersfield resident Giovanna Gomez was at home with her family when their house swayed and the water in her pool overflowed. They ran outside.

“It was about a minute long,” she said. “Far larger than the one that (happened) yesterday. It was a smooth roll going back and forth.”

Bakersfield is in Kern County, about 110 miles from Ridgecrest. Donald Castle, who lives in Porterville, west of Ridgecrest, said his house shook for nearly 25 seconds.

“It was more of a shake than what we had on the Fourth. It lasted longer and was more rolling,” he said.

Calls for medical help

No reports of major gas leaks or serious injuries have been reported, Kern County Fire Chief David Witt said. But calls came in for ambulance and medical assistance.

In Los Angeles, about 150 miles south of Ridgecrest, residents felt the earth shake, but no reports of serious damage were made, Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department reported no major damage, deaths or serious injuries, but said some wires were down and power was out in some locations.

Shaking felt in Mexico and Las Vegas

The shaking was felt as far away as Mexico and Las Vegas, according to the USGS.

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-magnitude earthquake was the mainshock, while Thursday’s 6.4-magnitude quake was a foreshock, according to Jones.

In addition to being bigger, Miller said it released more than 11 times the amount of energy than the 6.4 one.

More earthquakes are possible. 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.

On Saturday morning, the USGS said the chance of another 7-magnitude or higher earthquake is only 3%– possible but with a low probability.

On the other hand, the chance of a 3-magnitude or higher earthquake hitting the area is over 99%.

“It is most likely that as few as 240 or as many as 410 such earthquakes may occur in the case that the sequence is re-invigorated by a larger aftershock,” the USGS said on its website.

U.S. weapons testing facility was damaged

A US weapons testing facility in Ridgecrest, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, said on its Facebook page that it sustained “infrastructure damage” as a result of Thursday’s and Friday’s earthquakes.
“NAWS China Lake is not mission capable until further notice; however, security protocols remain in effect,” a Facebook post said.

According to the NAWS China Lake website, the facility is the Navy’s largest single landholding, covering more than 1.1 million acres — an area larger than the state of Rhode Island — in Kern, San Bernardino and Inyo counties.

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LOS ANGELES (CNS) – A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck at 8:16 p.m.
tonight as part of an earthquake sequence of swarm in the Searles Valley,
according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake struck nearly 9 miles west-southwest of Searles Valley.
“The M6.4 was a foreshock,” seismologist Lucy Jones tweeted,
referring to what occurred on Thursday. “This was a M7.1 on the same fault as
has been producing the Searles Valley sequence. This is part of the same
sequence.”
Jones said a magnitude 6 aftershock is very likely.

There is a “high probability” of a magnitude 5 or greater
aftershock to tonight’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Ridgecrest in the next
week, according to seismologist Lucy Jones. There is a 50% chance of a
magnitude 6 or greater quake and about a 10% chance of a magnitude 7 or greater
temblor in the next week, Jones said.
The earthquake was felt as far away at Las Vegas.

There are no reports of serious damage in Los Angeles related to
tonight’s earthquake, Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted. An Urban Search and Rescue
Task Force team is being sent to Kern County to help with the damage closer to
the epicenter, Garcetti says.

No infrastructure damage or injuries have been reported in
Beverly Hills, Costa Mesa, Glendale, Long Beach and Santa Monica as a result of
tonight’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake near Ridgecrest, according to authorities in
each city.

A quake with a magnitude as large as 7.1 jolted much of California, cracked buildings, set fires, broke roads and caused several injuries, authorities and residents said. The quake _ preceded by Thursday’s 6.4-magnitude temblor in the Mojave Desert _ was the largest Southern California temblor in at least 20 years and was followed by a series of large and small aftershocks. It hit at 8:19 p.m. and was centered 11 miles from Ridgecrest in the same areas where the previous quake hit. But it was felt as far north as Sacramento, as far east as Las Vegas and as far south as Mexico. Early magnitude estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey wavered between 6.9 and 7.1. The area in and around Ridgecrest, already trying to recover from the previous temblor, took the brunt of damage. Megan Person, director of communications for the Kern County Fire Department, said there were reports of multiple injuries and multiple fires, but she didn’t have details. The county opened an emergency shelter. Meanwhile, a rockslide closed State Route 178 in Kern River Canyon, where photos from witnesses also showed that a stretch of roadway had sunk. San Bernardino County firefighters reported cracked buildings and one minor injury. In downtown Los Angeles, 150 miles away, offices in skyscrapers rolled and rocked for at least 30 seconds. Andrew Lippman, who lives in suburban South Pasadena, was sitting outside and reading the paper when Friday’s quake hit. “It just started getting stronger and stronger, and I looked into my house and the lamp started to sway. I could see power lines swaying,” he said. “This one seemed 45 (seconds)… I’m still straightening pictures.” Gov. Gavin Newsom activated the state Office of Emergency Services operations center “to its highest level.”

From Westwood One News
powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake swayed buildings and cracked streets and foundations in Southern California on Friday night, sending terrified residents into the streets a day after another quake hit. The latest earthquake Friday struck 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest, according to the US Geological Survey. It was five times bigger and 11 times stronger than Thursday’s 6.4 -magnitude earthquake, also centered near Ridgecrest, CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller said. There’s been an average of one aftershock per minute since Friday’s quake in the southern part of the state, according to the US Geological Survey website. Gas leaks caused structure fires throughout Ridgecrest, residents reported water main breaks, and power and communications were out in some areas, according to Mark Ghilarducci, director of the Governors’ Office of Emergency Management. Several injuries were reported, according to Kern County spokeswoman Megan Person, but Kern County Fire Chief David Witt told reporters there were no known fatalities. About 130 residents from Bakersfield and Trona were staying in a temporary shelter, Person said. “On behalf of all Californians, I offer my heartfelt support to those affected by tonight’s earthquake near Ridgecrest,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday. The governor declared a state of emergency in Kern County on Thursday after the 6.4 -magnitude earthquake and in San Bernardino late Friday after the 7.1-magnitude earthquake. Newsom also said he requested a presidential emergency declaration for assistance. No power or water in San Bernardino town The San Bernardino County Fire Department said it received multiple reports of damage as well from northwest communities. “Homes shifted, foundation cracks, retaining walls down,” the department said. “One injury (minor) with firefighters treating patient.”
An earthquake rattled Los Angeles again. The Dodgers and Padres just played through it
By Nicole Chavez, CNN

The crowd at Dodger Stadium went wild at bottom of the fourth inning. It wasn’t the game, the ground started shaking.

San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Lauer threw several pitches to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Enríque Hernández while a 7.1-magnitude earthquake rocked Southern California on Friday night.

The players just stayed focused, like it was nothing, even as broadcast cameras and the foul poles shook for a few seconds.

The shaking was felt more than 250 miles away in Las Vegas, where an NBA Summer League game ended up being postponed.

The New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks were playing inside the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas when scoreboards and speakers near the ceiling of the arena shook.

Patients wheeled out of a hospital, some still hooked to IVs, after earthquake hits
By Paul Vercammen, CNN

A second major earthquake to hit Southern California in less than two days sent jittery residents out on the streets Friday night.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest, according to the US Geological Survey. It comes a day after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake centered near Ridgecrest rattled the region. That earthquake has produced more than 1,400 aftershocks, scientists said.

Shortly after the latest earthquake, Ridgecrest Regional Hospital wheeled out patients — some still hooked to their IV stands. Nurses tended to patients outside in the dark as sirens wailed. Hotels near the hospital suffered power outages, plunging the area in darkness.

In downtown Ridgecrest, firefighters battled the raging flames on a home, preventing them from hopscotching to other houses in the residential area.

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

The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Fires break out after another powerful earthquake hits near Ridgecrest in Southern California
By Christina Maxouris, CNN

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Southern California on Friday night — the second one near Ridgecrest in less than two days.

The latest earthquake occurred 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest, according to the US Geological Survey.

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 told CNN. An emergency operations center is being set up in Bakersfield, she said.

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.

The shaking was felt all the way in Las Vegas, much like the earthquake a day earlier.

The NBA Summer League game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks in Las Vegas was delayed Friday following reports of the quake. Scoreboards and speakers near the ceiling of the arena shook when the earthquake hit.

Public safety units are being deployed throughout the city ” to ensure safety and inspect infrastructure,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

Noted seismologist Lucy Jones said Friday both earthquakes are part of an ongoing sequence, of a “very energetic system.”

Officials are not ruling out that there could be more earthquakes coming.

This is a developing story, please check in for updates.