A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California on Thursday, the largest temblor to hit the region in years.
The 10:33 a.m. quake was centered in the Searles Valley, a remote area of Kern County about 100 miles north of Los Angeles, and was felt as far away as Long Beach and Las Vegas.
There were no immediate reports of fatalities, though authorities in the city of Ridgecrest were responding to dozens of emergency calls.
The Kern County Fire Department was responding to “nearly 2 dozen incidents ranging from medical assistance to structure fires in and around the city of Ridgecrest,†according to the department’s Twitter account.
There were scattered reports of problems at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. Reached by phone, Ridgecrest Mayor Peggy Breeden said authorities were in the process of assessing the hospital.
"It's a little crazy here right now,†she said before quickly ending the call.
The quake was the largest in Southern California since the 7.1 Hector Mine quake struck the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps base in 1999.
There were scattered reports of problems at Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. Reached by phone, Ridgecrest Mayor Peggy Breeden said authorities were in the process of assessing the hospital.
"It's a little crazy here right now,†she said before quickly ending the call.
The quake was the largest in Southern California since the 7.1 Hector Mine quake struck the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps base in 1999.
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