Southern California was struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake late Thursday morning, centered near the Ridgecrest area, Global News reported.
As of right now, it is unclear whether the quake has resulted in any injuries or serious damage.
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The quake hit the region at around 10:30 a.m. local time with an initial magnitude of 6.6 before it was downgraded to 6.4.
It was centered 10 miles northeast of Ridgecrest, California, a small town mostly known for being a hot-spot for snowboarders from Los Angeles, 125 miles south of the city.
Because it was centered in such a remotely populated area, it’s unlikely there was significant damage in a more urban region.
This is the largest earthquake to have hit the area in decades.
The last quake of this size was a 6.6 that hit in 1994 in Northridge, killing dozens of people and causing billions of dollars worth of damage.
However, the casualties and destruction of that disaster was due to the fact that Northridge was a densely populated area. This particular quake was located far away from the more highly populated cities, like Los Angeles and its surrounding region.
Lost Angeles fire and police departments sent out tweets following the incident just minutes after the quake hit.
After reportedly being flooded with calls from concerned locals, they have asked that people do not phone 9-1-1 unless there are injuries or other dangerous questions.
The quake reportedly lasted for about 30 seconds in Los Angeles.
Several people have taken to Twitter to express their surprise and concern following the uncharacteristically long and strong quake, including actor Dwayne Johnson who tweeted: “6.6 is strong. We felt a lil’ movement here in the valley, but all good.”
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center tweeted that a tsunami is not expected to follow the quake.
The quake was reportedly felt throughout the southern part of the state and in some parts of Nevada, with one Twitter user reporting that it was even felt as far as Las Vegas.
h/t: Global News , LA Times
