Terrifying moment anchors react to earthquake on set
Earthquake rocks Southern California
9 min ago
Police chief's advice: Take pictures off the walls and stock up on emergency supplies
Since Friday night's quake, there has been an average of one aftershock per minute since in the southern part of California, according to the United States Geological Survey website.
After an earthquake as powerful as the one that hit Friday, residents can expect an aftershock reaching up to a magnitude of 6.0, officials said Saturday, and should even be prepared for a scarier shake.
With that in mind, Ridgecrest Police Chief Jed McLaughlin offered up some advice:
"I would probably start taking some stuff off the walls if they're not already down ... Make sure you're not sleeping under something that's still hung up."
The chief warned residents to stay prepared and load up on supplies while stores are still open, "just in case that we have something bigger than we had today."
He said residents should remain vigilant for the next two weeks.
"This isn't going to stop in the near future," he said. "The aftershocks, they haven't slowed down since the 7.1 (magnitude earthquake). For a period of time there was constant vibration."
There could still be more earthquakes in Southern California
CalTech seismologist Lucy Jones said both Friday's 7.1-magnitude earthquake and Thursday's 6.4-magnitude temblor are part of an ongoing sequence.
That means the latest earthquake was the mainshock, while Thursday's quake was a foreshock, according to Jones.
But the threat isn't over: More earthquakes are possible. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has activated the state emergency operation center to its highest level.
"The state is coordinating mutual aid to local first responders," he tweeted Friday night.
Officials will soon give an update on the quake
Kern County Officials are expected to hold a news conference at 11:30 a.m. ET (that's 8:30 a.m. PT this morning to give updates on last night's 7.1-magnitude earthquake.
We'll be covering the briefing live here.
If you're just catching up on the news, here's what we know so far about the Friday night earthquake:
- Where it hit: The Friday night earthquake struck 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest, according to the US Geological Survey.
- Its power: It was five times bigger than Thursday's 6.4-magnitude earthquake, also centered near Ridgecrest. That means Thursday earthquake was a foreshock to last night's quake.
- The damage: Gas leaks caused structure fires throughout Ridgecrest, residents reported water main breaks, and the power and communications were out in some areas, Mark Ghilarducci, Director of California Governors' Office of Emergency Management, said. Several injuries were reported.
- What happens next: A state of emergency is declared in Ridgecrest and San Bernardino County and seismologists are expecting more aftershocks.
How the two California earthquakes compare
Both last night's earthquake and the one that hit on the Fourth of July are part of an ongoing sequence, CalTech seismologist Lucy Jones said.
Here's how the two compare:
- Last night's was stronger: Friday night's 7.1-magnitude quake released 11 times more energy than Thursday's quake, which was a 6.4. That makes the second quake 11 times stronger than the first.
- And it was bigger: According to the USGS, Friday's quake was 5 times bigger than Thursday's when it was measured on a seismogram.
- It was also longer: Bakersfield resident Giovanna Gomez was at home with her family when their house swayed last night. "It was about a minute long," she said. "Far larger than the one that (happened) yesterday."
- Both caused damage: After the first quake, the city of Ridgecrest announced a state of emergency. Footage from Ridgecrest showed firefighters hosing down flames rising from homes and many residents were left without power. On Friday night, gas leaks caused structure fires throughout Ridgecrest and residents reported water main breaks. Several injuries were also reported after the second quake.
- Where they happened: Friday's quake was centered just northwest of Thursday's. Here's the map:
The Fourth of July earthquake was a foreshock to last night's
CalTech seismologist Lucy Jones said Friday both last night's earthquake and the one that hit on the Fourth of July are part of an ongoing sequence, of a "very energetic system."
The latest 7.1-magnitude earthquake was the mainshock, while Thursday's 6.4-magnitude quake was a foreshock, according to Jones.
In addition to being bigger, Miller said it released more than 11 times the amount of energy than the 6.4 one.
More earthquakes are possible. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he has activated the state emergency operation center to its highest level.
"The state is coordinating mutual aid to local first responders," he tweeted Friday night.
President Trump has been briefed on this earthquake
President Trump was briefed on the latest California earthquake.
Dan Scavino, the White House director of social media and an assistant to the President, tweeted overnight that Trump will continually be updated.
.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump has been briefed on the new (7.1) earthquake in Southern California. Teams will continue to monitor around the clock & provide updates to POTUS. Some helpful Twitter handles to follow: @LAFD, @LAPDHQ, @LACOFD, @kerncountyfire, @Cal_OES, and @femaregion9.
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