Southern California was rocked by the strongest earthquake in a quarter century Thursday, shaking Los Angeles for some thirty seconds.
The US Geological Survey initially recorded a 6.6 magnitude earthquake southwest of Searles Valley, in a remote area of San Bernardino County, near the Mojave Desert. The estimate of the earthquake’s magnitude was later downgraded slightly to 6.4.
The quake struck at 10:33 a.m. local time, some 8.7 kilometers below the surface.
While the earthquake hit in a sparsely populated desert area, the quake shook Los Angeles, North Las Vegas, and was even felt as far south as San Diego.
There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries, though the San Bernardino County Fire Department reported Thursday that it is “conducting assessment of the region”.
The last time Southern California was struck by an earthquake of this magnitude was the January 17th, 1994 quake in Northridge, when a 6.6 magnitude earthquake and two 6.0 magnitude aftershocks killed close to 60 people and caused some $50 billion worth of damage.