UPDATE: 23ABC News will be live at a press conference at the Ridgecrest City Hall at 3 p.m. with the Ridgecrest mayor, police chief, and Kern County Fire Department.
UPDATE: Hall Ambulance deployed an ambulance strike team to assist with the evacuation of the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital following the 6.4 magnitude earthquake and multiple aftershocks.
UPDATE: UPDATE: The Ridgecrest Police Department has issued a message from PG&E that residents should only turn off their gas if they smell gas. If you do not smell gas, PG&E is asking people NOT to turn their gas off.
UPDATE: Latest from the USGS regarding the earthquake:
THREAD: A strong (Mw 6.4) earthquake occurred 12 km SW of Searles Valley,
— USGS (@USGS) July 4, 2019
California on the China Lake Naval Air Center at 10:33:48 am local
time on July 4, 2019. The closest big population center is the city of
Ridgecrest with a population of 28k people.
UPDATE: San Bernadino County Fire Department reports that communities in the northwest sections of the county have reported "multiple buildings with minor cracks; broken water mains; power lines down; rock slides on certain roads." Fortunately, there are no reports of injuries or fires.
UPDATE: An evacuation center has been set up in Ridgecrest at Burroughs High School. In addition, emergency operations services are at the city hall and police department. A cooling center has been set up at the Kerr McGee Community Center.
UPDATE: According to the LA Times, the "July 4th quake near Ridgecrest is the largest in Southern California since 1994 magnitude 6.6 Northridge earthquake, which was centered in a heavily populated area of L.A. and caused billions of dollars of damage."
UPDATE: Kern County Firefighers 1301 are recommending that people avoid the Ridgecrest area due to "multiple structure fires, gas leaks and medical emergencies are being reported."
Due to the 6.6 magnitude earthquake your #KernCountyFirefirefighters are responding to an overwhelming amount of incidents in the #Ridgecrest area. Multiple structure fires, gas leaks and medical emergencies are being reported. Avoid the area if possible.
— Kern County Firefighters 1301 (@KCFF1301) July 4, 2019
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UPDATE: Roads show damage from the recent 6.4 earthquake in Ridgecrest.
#Update: Incredible picture of a road ripped open just out from the town of #Trona in #California, after the 6.4 magnitude #earthquake has been felt in that region. pic.twitter.com/kz6ZpgLkdl
— Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) July 4, 2019
UPDATE: The USGS stated in a recent press conference that an earthquake larger than 6.4 could hit in the next week.
UPDATE: The California City Police Department is urging residents to stay off phone lines. "Due to the heavy cell use, residents are urged not to use cell phones and land phones to call others. Use digital communications such as text or computer."
UPDATE: President Donald Trump has tweeted out in regards to the recent earthquake in Ridgecrest, California.
Been fully briefed on earthquake in Southern California. All seems to be very much under control!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 4, 2019
UPDATE: Kern County Fire has issued an alert warning that "another possible earthquake has been predicted within the next 15 minutes in or near Kern County."
Emergency Alert. Another possible earthquake has been predicted within the next 15 minutes in or near Kern County
— Kern County Fire (@kerncountyfire) July 4, 2019
#
UPDATE: The Kern County Fire Department has confirmed that "evacuations are underway @ Ridgecrest Regional Hospital."
#EarthquakeResponse Update. We can confirm evacuations are underway @ Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. #kerncountyfiredepartment
— Kern County Fire (@kerncountyfire) July 4, 2019
UPDATE: According to Calvin Foster, Acting Chief of Southern Operations Branch for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "everything is fine" at the Lake Isablla dam. He went on to say that everyone at the site felt the earthquake and they immediately proceeded with earthquake protocols. Preliminary information is there have been no changes or signs of any issues.
UPDATE: The earthquake's epicenter was 11 miles from Ridgecrest, California, which is just west of the Mojave Desert. The USGS said the earthquake's epicenter was 90 miles from Bakersfield, California, and 120 miles from Los Angeles. The USGS warned that a number of aftershocks are likely in the region. The USGS added that there is a 5% chance that an even larger earthquake could hit in the coming hours or days.
UPDATE: The earthquake's epicenter was 11 miles from Ridgecrest, California, which is just west of the Mojave Desert. The USGS said the earthquake's epicenter was 90 miles from Bakersfield, California, and 120 miles from Los Angeles. The USGS warned that a number of aftershocks are likely in the region. The USGS added that there is a 5% chance that an even larger earthquake could hit in the coming hours or days.
UPDATE: According to California City Police Chief Eric Hurtado there has been damage in Ridgecrest as a result of the recent earthquake. He also reported that buildings are on fire and that Damage in Ridgecrest, buildings on fire and teams are responding to assist.
And the Associated Press is reporting: "Crews responding to at least 24 medical and fire incidents after earthquake near Ridgecrest, California."
UPDATE: A video on Twitter shows some of the effects of the earthquake in Ridgecrest.
My dads liquor store in Ridgecrest (11 miles from the earthquake) 🥴 pic.twitter.com/4RC0mY3eha
— Zomo (@zomo_abd) July 4, 2019
UPDATE: The earthquake was felt as far south as Mexicali, Mexico.
- 11.7 km (7.3 mi) SW of Searles Valley, California
- 17.3 km (10.7 mi) ENE of Ridgecrest, California
- 77.5 km (48.1 mi) NE of California City, California
- 99.7 km (61.8 mi) NNW of Barstow, California
- 390.3 km (242.0 mi) NNW of Mexicali, Mexico
UPDATE: The USGS has registered 25 earthquakes since 10 a.m. People are reporting that they felt it out as far as Vegas.
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The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 6.4 magnitude earthquake Thursday in Searles Valley in San Bernardino County that was felt in Bakersfield and as far south as Los Angeles.
The USGS also recorded two earthquakes -- 4.0 and 2.2 -- this morning in San Bernardino County, just northeast of Ridgecrest.
There were more than a dozen small earthquakes recorded by USGS in the area of the Grapevine on Monday as well.
In light of the recent earthquake, the Red Cross reminds people how to prepare and react to an earthquake:
- Talk about earthquakes with your family so that everyone knows what to do in case of an earthquake. Discussing ahead of time helps reduce fear, particularly for younger children
- Check at your workplace and your children's schools and day care centers to learn about their earthquake emergency plans.
- Pick safe places in each room of your home, workplace and/or school. A safe place could be under a piece of furniture or against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you.
- Practice DROP, COVER and HOLD ON in each safe place.
- Make sure you have access to NOAA radio broadcasts
This is a developing story and this story will be updated as we learn more.