Governor declares state of emergency for Ridgecrest earthquake
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has issued an emergency proclamation due to the effects of a Thursday morning 6.4 magnitude earthquake near Ridgecrest in Kern County and continued aftershocks that have damaged critical infrastructure, homes and other structures and caused fires.
The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at 10:33 a.m. Thursday. It was centered 7.3 miles southwest of Searles Valley and 10.7 miles east northeast of Ridgecrest.
More than 49,000 people have reported feeling the quake, primarily residents of Southern California but some reports also came from the Bay Area and Northern California, and other states including Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Washington.
More than 160 aftershocks had been reported as of 2 a.m. Friday.
The governor’s emergency declaration said the 6.4-magnitude temblor damaged roads and buildings, as well as critical infrastructure – including electrical service lines, water lines and gas lines, impacting thousands of customers. It also caused multiple structural fires and necessitated evacuations.
California Earthquake Authority Chief Executive Officer Glenn Pomeroy said the big Thursday quake was the strongest earthquake in the Southern California region since the 1999 Hector Mine earthquake, and shaking from the main shock and aftershocks was felt throughout Southern California.
“This event is an important reminder that all of California is earthquake country. Earthquakes can happen at any time – a magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred on our northern coast just a couple of weeks ago – and we need to be prepared,” Pomeroy said. “It’s important to know what to do to stay safe when the ground starts shaking – drop, cover and hold on! – and to take other steps to prepare to survive and recover from damaging earthquakes, such as to retrofit homes built prior to 1980 and the advent of modern building codes, which may be more vulnerable to earthquake damage, and consider earthquake insurance to protect ourselves financially.”
He added, “If this earthquake had occurred under a densely populated area, it is likely that California would be looking at many more injuries and at damages in the billions of dollars.”
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