6.4 magnitude earthquake near Ridgecrest rattles Southern California

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake shook Fourth of July revelers across Southern California, but no major injuries were reported and damage appeared largely confined to the area near the quake’s epicenter in the Mojave Desert.

Thursday’s quake was reported at 10:33 a.m. centered southwest of Searles Valley in San Bernardino County at a depth of 6.6 miles.

Searles Valley is a remote desert area north of Barstow and about 25 miles northeast of Ridgecrest in Kern County, where the quake was strongly felt.

It was the region’s biggest temblor in 20 years and one of the biggest in the state since the 1994 Northridge quake (that was 6.7 magnitude), renowned seismologist Lucy Jones told media at a news conference at Caltech.

But “Does that make it unusual? No,” she said.

The U.S. Geological Survey website showed a series of smaller quakes starting at least a half-hour before the magnitude 6.4 event, and temblors of diminishing strength continued throughout the day, sometimes occurring every few minutes.

Home owner Jack Minton stands in his front yard after the 6.4 earthquake burnt part of his home in Ridgecrest on Thursday, July 4, 2019. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Zomo Abdullatif cleans up damager to stock at Eastridge Market Liquor after the 6.4 earthquake in Ridgecrest on Thursday, July 4, 2019. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

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Edgar Rivera reads as he keeps watch at Thrifty Wash after the trap ceiling fell during the 6.4 earthquake in Ridgecrest on Thursday, July 4, 2019. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

A road is damaged from an earthquake Thursday, July 4, 2019, in Trona, Calif. A strong earthquake rattled a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday, rattling nerves on the July 4th holiday and causing some damage in a town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of aftershocks. (AP Photo/Matt Hartman)

Cans line the floor at the Stater Bros. on China Lake Blvd. in Ridgecrest after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. (Photo courtesy Adam Graehl)

Pipes are damaged from an earthquake, Thursday, July 4, 2019, in Trona, Calif. A strong earthquake rattled a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday, rattling nerves on the July 4th holiday and causing some damage in a town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of aftershocks. (AP Photo/Matt Hartman)

A motorcyclist rides over a temporarily repaired part of damage on Highway 178 in Ridgecrest, Calif., following an earthquake in the area Thursday, July 4, 2019. The earthquake shook a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday, rattling nerves on the July 4th holiday and causing some injuries and damage in the town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of ongoing aftershocks. (AP Photo/Matt Hartman)

Neighbor Ricky Polton hoses down a hot spot on the roof of Jack Minton’s home when a branch of the tree caught fire again after the 6.4 earthquake burnt part of his home in Ridgecrest on Thursday, July 4, 2019. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

This photo shows damage on Highway 178 in Ridgecrest, Calif., following an earthquake in the area Thursday, July 4, 2019. The earthquake shook a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday, rattling nerves on the July 4th holiday and causing some injuries and damage in the town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of ongoing aftershocks. (AP Photo/Matt Hartman)

In this image taken from video provided by Ben Hood, a firefighter works to extinguish a fire, Thursday, July 4, 2019, following an earthquake in Ridgecrest, Calif. (Ben Hood via AP)

Seismologist Lucy Jones talks during a news conference at the Caltech Seismological Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, July 4, 2019. A strong earthquake rattled a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday morning, making hanging lamps sway and photo frames on walls shake. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries but a swarm of aftershocks were reported. (AP Photo/John Antczak)

Utility poles are damaged from an earthquake, Thursday, July 4, 2019, in Trona, Calif. A strong earthquake rattled a large swath of Southern California and parts of Nevada on Thursday, rattling nerves on the July 4th holiday and causing some damage in a town near the epicenter, followed by a swarm of aftershocks. (AP Photo/Matt Hartman)

The Stater Bros. on China Lake Blvd. in Ridgecrest is in disarray after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. (Photo courtesy Adam Graehl)

Rami Kastoun cleans up liquor damaged at Eastridge Market Liquor after the 6.4 earthquake burnt part of his home in Ridgecrest on Thursday, July 4, 2019. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

The incident was far enough from the San Andreas Fault that it’s unlikely to have a significant impact or cause a major quake there, Jones said.

Searles Valley and nearby Ridgecrest, a Kern County city of about 28,000 people, were most affected.

In the hours after the quake, firefighters in Kern and San Bernardino counties were called to at least one structure fire as well as reports of downed power lines, broken water mains, and buildings with minor cracks. Caltrans repaired cracks along State Route 178 near Trona, a community in San Bernardino County. No major injuries were reported, but Ridgecrest Regional Hospital was evacuated as a precaution until the facility could be inspected for safety.

Other reports included broken windows and tipped-over store shelves. Metrolink trains and rides at Disneyland and Six Flags Magic Mountain were briefly halted to ensure safety.

The American Red Cross said it opened a shelter at the Kerr McGee Community Center, 100 W. California Ave. in Ridgecrest, and was assisting six clients Thursday night.

Amanda Callaway, 36, of Ridgecrest, was driving on the city’s north side during the quake. She pulled her car over, thinking a tire might have popped.

“We got out and we can actively see the road undulating. It’s intense. I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said. “We can see the road shaking. It was a trip.”

Callaway didn’t see any major damage on the road or issues when she got home, except for her scared dog and a wine bottle that fell off her shelf.

Southern California Edison spokesman Robert Villegas said about 6,900 customers experienced power outages due to the earthquake. Edison’s website indicated that repairs were underway by early Thursday evening and most power was expected to be restored by late Thursday or Friday morning.

Though damage in Ridgecrest didn’t appear to be heavy, city leaders declared a state of emergency and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed off on the declaration, which allows officials to seek disaster relief funding.

“Because we’ve had over 87 aftershocks, we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Ridgecrest Mayor Peggy Breeden said at an afternoon news conference. “The state of emergency allows us to seek significant help from other government entities.”

Social media reports showed that shaking was felt to the south at the National Weather Service’s San Diego office and as far east as Desert Hot Springs.

“I felt it” reports were also posted from North Las Vegas, Woodland Hills, Palmdale, La Puente, Santa Maria, Santa Ana, Visalia, Hanford, Lemoore, Porterville and Covina.

Jones and Robert Graves, a USGS seismologist, said the temblor triggered the state’s earthquake early warning system. However, they said, the city of Los Angeles’s ShakeAlert app didn’t push cell phone alerts to the general public because its threshhold to send them requires a likelihood of stronger shaking and potential damage than L.A. County experienced.

Jones said there’s about a 5 percent chance a quake even bigger than the 6.4 magnitude one is still to come and there is certainly a possibility of powerful aftershocks, but they’re not expected to cause damage in the Los Angeles region.

Things may take longer to get back to normal for Ridgecrest resident Jessica Bennett. She said in a phone interview that she was at home when the quake struck, knocking things off her dresser, moving furniture around and leaving her home in disarray.

Bennett was waiting to start cleanup because news reports said to expect more shaking.

She’s never experienced anything like this while living in Ridgecrest, she said. “It was scary indeed.”