CA quake: Several earthquakes centered near California-Nevada border felt across SF Bay Area

ByAmanda del Castillo and Paige McIntyre KGO logo

Friday, July 9, 2021

Bay Area hit by several quakes that struck NorCal, Nevada

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck south of Lake Tahoe near the California-Nevada border Thursday afternoon.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck south of Lake Tahoe near the California-Nevada border Thursday afternoon.

According to USGS, the quake hit in Walker, California at 3:49 p.m. and says there is a 6% chance that a larger earthquake could follow.

Since the quake there have been at least 40 aftershocks near the epicenter which is close to Markleeville, a small community near the state line.

The magnitude of the aftershocks ranged from 3.0 to 4.6.

By Thursday afternoon, USGS data reflected nearly 15,000 people reported feeling the Antelope Valley Earthquake. The name was shared by Austin Elliot during a press briefing.

Even behind the wheel, near the California-Nevada border, Brett Durrant shared video showing a large amount of dust being launched into the air during the rattle.

VIDEO: Video shows 'dust waterfall' as CA earthquake sends rocks crashing down Sierra Mountains

Video taken from KOA campgrounds in Coleville, Calif. shows cascades of dust from rocks crashing down the side of a mountain as an earthquake rocked the region.

The group was traveling along I-395 near Coleville when they realized what was happening.

"It was an earthquake," the driver said.

Another responded, "How do you know?"

The driver then answered, "Because the tires went a little funny. I thought the road was just funny- kind of wiggled."

Later video showed the vehicle attempting to maneuver through massive boulders.

VIDEO: Video shows boulders scattered on NorCal highway after earthquake

Video shows boulders scattered in the road on Highway 395 near Coleville, a town in Mono County, following an earthquake Thursday night.

U.S. 395, a major route through the northern Sierra Nevada, was closed because of rock slides, the state Department of Transportation said. The closure stretched about 40 miles (64 km) from near the tiny community of Willow Springs in Mono County north to Nevada border.

Kevin Cooper, a former spokesman for ski resorts near Lake Tahoe, joined ABC7 by phone from Tahoe City.

He said the quake caused the "biggest jolts I've felt in Lake Tahoe in sometime."

Cooper described how he saw a "roller" wave from north to south on the lake as the quake hit.

VIDEO: Lake Tahoe's Kevin Cooper describes 'roller" wave on lake as quake hit

Kevin Cooper, a former spokesman for ski resorts near Lake Tahoe, joined ABC7 and described what he saw and felt as an earthquake hit at the California-Nevada border on Thursday.

We spoke to Sally Rosen, who owns a popular burger restaurant in Walker, near the epicenter, said her 2-year-old was napping in her arms in her home behind the restaurant when the earthquake hit.

"We felt the shaking of the building, and we didn't know quite what it was at first," said Rosen. "It kept going, and it was pretty intense and scary, frankly. So we ran out of the house as fast as we could and ran to the restaurant because the first thought was, 'Oh my goodness, we need to shut off the gas.'"

Cups and other items flew off the shelves, and oil splattered from the fryers, she said.

Communities all around Lake Tahoe and as far south as Fresno, California, felt the earthquake, which had a depth of 6 miles (9.8 km).

VIDEO: Surveillance camera captures shaking more than 80 miles from CA earthquake epicenter

Video shared with ABC7 News shows the inside of an Arnold, Calif. home wildly shaking during an earthquake that struck about 80 miles away.

"People in the area should expect aftershocks for days following an earthquake of this size," said Jason Ballman with the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California. "We've already seen a pretty vigorous aftershock sequence."

Ballman cautioned that reports of damage or injury might not be available for days because a lot of the shaking was felt in remote areas.

Preliminary reports had indicated two earthquakes striking 25 seconds but 100 miles apart. But the U.S. Geological Survey revised the shaking and removed the report of a magnitude 4.8 quake in Farmington, about five miles southeast of Stockton, the Sacramento Bee said.

"While there are no preliminary reports of damage or injuries, this is a rapidly evolving situation & more details will emerge in the coming hours." California's Office of Emergency Services tweeted. "We are working closely with local officials to ensure they have the resources and support to rapidly respond to these earthquakes."

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