Yesterday’s magnitude 6.4 Independence Day earthquake shocked those living in Southern California. Fortunately, the earthquake, with its epicentre 125 miles (201km) northeast of Los Angeles, is thought to have caused no deaths or serious damage. However the earthquake inevitably rekindled fears the area, sitting on top of the notorious San Andreas fault line, may be overdue another Big One. Thursday’s earthquake was fortunately nowhere near the same scale as a Big One – an earthquake that peaks at magnitude 8 or higher.
The 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck at 6.33pm BST (10.33am PT) in the Mojave Desert, about 150 miles (240km) northeast of Los Angeles, near the town of Ridgecrest, California.
Ridgecrest Mayor Peggy Breeden confirmed utility workers were assessing broken gas lines and turning off gas where necessary.
The local senior centre was holding a Fourth of July event when the quake hit and everyone made it out shaken up but without injuries, she said.
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Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Kern County, allowing the state to assist the county and municipalities in it with emergency aid and recovery efforts.
President Donald Trump said he was fully briefed on the earthquake and that it “all seems to be very much under control!”
Dr Lucy Jones, a Caltech seismologist, confirmed the earthquake was the strongest since a 7.1 quake struck in the area on October 16, 1999.
She said at a press conference: “This has been an extremely quiet abnormal time.
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“This type of earthquake is much more normal – the long term average is probably once every five or 10 years somewhere in Southern California.”
Dr Jones said the 6.4 quake centred near the town of Ridgecrest was preceded by a magnitude 4.2 temblor – earthquake – about a half hour earlier.
She said vigorous aftershocks occurred and she would not be surprised if a magnitude 5 quake hit but that they were striking in a remote area, sparsely populated area.
She added: “This is an isolated enough location that’s going to greatly reduce the damage.”
The Big One: What happened to San Fransisco in 1906?
The infamous 1906 San Francisco earthquake, was a major earthquake that came close to being a Big One.
The earthquake peaked at magnitude 7.9 and hit the northern coast of California in the early morning of April 18, 1906.
The San Andreas Fault slipped along a segment about 270 miles (430 km) long, extending from San Juan Bautista in San Benito County to Humboldt County.
Damage was extremely severe in San Francisco and in other towns situated near the fault, including San Jose, Salinas, and Santa Rosa.
The resulting fire in San Francisco raged for four days, destroying 28,000 buildings, which had a property value loss estimated at £280million ($350million).
The death toll of the 1906 event is now believed to have exceeded 3,000 and about 250,000 people were left homeless.