This the second major earthquake in the last two days….
The first was a 6.5 magnitude one…
There have been numerous aftershocks also….
Another one could happen at anytime and it cuuld be bigger …
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Southern California on Friday night, the second major temblor in less than two days and one that rocked buildings across Southern California, adding more jitters to an already nervous region.
The quake was centered near Ridgecrest, the location of the July Fourth 6.4 magnitude temblor that was the largest in nearly 20 years. It was followed by a aftershock first reported as 5.5 in magnitude. Scientists said it the fault causing the quakes appears to be growing….
There were reports of Friday night’s quake causing some fires and other damage in Ridgecrest. On Twitter, people reported the shaking was felt in Bakersfield and as far away as Las Vegas, Merced and San Jose.
About 3,000 residents in Ridgecrest and the surrounding areas are without power following the earthquake, according to Southern California Edison. In Los Angeles, there were no immediate reports of major damage to buildings and infrastructure, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
In Trona and Ridgecrest, two Mojave towns shaken by both quakes, residents answered their phones frantically and in fear.
“They’re saying the ground split,” said Winter Wilson, who was driving home to Trona from Bakersfield, her voice shaking. “They made me promise not to come.”
“I can’t talk right now,” Heather Rush said as she hurried to get in touch with her sister.
The shaking was less intense in the Los Angeles metro area, and there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.
The 7.1 quake that struck Friday night was about 10 times larger than the 6.4 quake on Thursday morning, Caltech seismologist Lucy Jones said.
The Friday quake occurred on the same fault system as the 6.4 temblor. It was farther away from Los Angeles, though still in the Owens Valley.
“This happened at the end of the zone that moved previously,” Jones said, adding that the fault is now likely to be 25 to 30 miles long.
“The fault is growing,” she said……
A state of emergency has been declared in parts of California….