Newsom asks Trump for federal assistance after 7.1 quake shakes SoCal, rattles Bay Area

Jul. 6--RIDGECREST -- The temblor, which struck about 8:20 p.m., caused a number of minor injuries, but no fatalities, said Mark Ghilarducci, Director of California's Office of Emergency Services. It sparked several structure fires, ruptured gas lines, caused rock slides and collapsed at least one building in Trona, a small hamlet in San Bernardino County. The US Geological Survey estimated economic losses could reach as high as $1 billion, based on the level of shaking caused by the quake, the number of structures in the area, past damage caused by other earthquakes of the same magnitude and other factors.

But given the size of the quake -- the second in as many days, after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake July 4 -- Ghilarducci described the outcome as fortunate, with mostly property and infrastructure damage and residents spared from serious injury.

"So I think we're very lucky there," he said, "and happy there wasn't anything worse."

State, local and federal agencies are continuing to conduct an extensive assessment of damage to homes, buildings, roads, gas lines and other infrastructure, Ghilarducci said. Even without Trump's approval of a presidential emergency declaration, FEMA and associated agencies are already on scene to assist state agencies as they provide assistance to communities affected by the quake, which hit 11 miles north-northeast of the Kern County city of Ridgecrest.

USGS briefly downgraded the temblor to a 6.9 before re-listing it as a 7.1, making it the strongest shaker to strike the region in at least 20 years.

Seismologists said Thursday's magnitude 6.4 quake was followed by more than 1,700 aftershocks and that they might continue for years. That jolt, however, is now considered a foreshock to Friday night's quake, which was followed by a series of strong aftershocks itself, including a magnitude 5.5 and a magnitude 5.4, both near Little Lake.

"They've been through a lot in both Ridgecrest in Kern County and in Trona in San Bernardino County," Ghilarducci said. "They've had a week-long series of earthquakes, an earthquake swarm."

He added, "So that whole area there, we are continuing to keep them in our thoughts and prayers and working very, very diligently to support all of their efforts."

And it may not be over. Catherine Puckett, acting Western states communications chief for the geological survey, said the agency forecasts that over the next week, beginning Saturday, "there is a 2 percent chance of one or more aftershocks larger than 7.1 in the region of the earlier quakes." The USGS also predicts that there will be 120 to 330 aftershocks over the next week, with a magnitude of 3 or higher.

Newsom surveyed the damage in Ridgecrest Saturday, meeting with business owners and residents, as well as local and state officials. Sometime next week, local, state and federal officials will come up with a preliminary assessment of the damage to see if it is extensive enough to warrant a presidential emergency declaration, according to Robert Barker, a FEMA spokesman. That assistance would go to repair infrastructure and possibly to help individuals whose property was damaged by the quake.

In the Bay Area, the temblors shook up a number of residents and business owners, a reminder to prepare for the next big quake. Tin Le, co-owner of the downtown San Jose bar and restaurant SP2, said he and his staff are "definitely fearful of the 'big one' coming."

Le is already planning to hold an emergency management training session for his staff of more than 60 employees within the next week, he said.

"It's something we should be doing on a regular basis, but the two earthquakes back-to-back like that definitely raised the urgency a bit, so we're going to address that right away," he said, adding that the training will include showing staff how to turn off the restaurant's water and gas lines, making sure everyone can locate all the emergency exits, identifying the hanging items to avoid and training staff to exude a calming presence for the restaurant's patrons.

At a San Jose REI store, sales manager Judi Walter said she noticed an uptick in the number of customers coming into the store Saturday searching for emergency kits in response to the recent quakes. The kits, which are often designed to sustain two or more people for a period of three days, generally include multi-purpose tools such as a pocketknife, first-aid supplies, food packages and water filters, she said.

"After any kind of natural disaster, like the fires last year, there's definitely a noticeable increase," Walter said of customers seeking kits. "It's a good reminder to get your stuff together and be ready for whatever may come."

In Kern and San Bernardino counties, authorities opened emergency shelters for residents unsure of the structural integrity of their homes, Ghilarducci said. Nearly 200 people used the shelters Friday night, he said.

The state military deployed 300 people to assist in moving first responders and supplies, 68 California Highway Patrol officers were on scene Saturday performing roving patrols to survey the damage, Caltrans crews worked overnight Friday and into Saturday to clear roadways of debris and make emergency repairs, and CalFire staffed its stations at full capacity to be ready to respond to any wildfires throughout the region, a risk intensified by high temperatures that ranged in the upper 90s and low 100s, Ghilarducci said.

As of Saturday morning, Ghilarducci said officials in both Kern and San Bernardino counties were reporting they had enough clean drinking water. And although power had been cut to roughly 1,800 people, Ghilarducci said officials were working to get it back up and running Saturday.

With the emergency response likely to wrap up Saturday, Ghildarducci said local, state and federal agencies would turn their attention to long-term recovery.

"We're moving assets into place that can really focus on determining the total amount of damage so we can work proactively to get individuals in the community back up to their normal way of life," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

What should I do in an earthquake?

Gone are the days of standing in doorways for protection, said Mark Ghilarducci, Director of California's Office of Emergency Services. Here are some tips he provided if you experience an earthquake:

* Drop, cover and hold on: The idea, he said, is to get underneath something sturdy that will protect you from falling objects. Cover your head as best as possible.

* Don't stand in doorways because doors can bang closed, he said.

* Don't stand near refrigerators because they can move.

* If you're driving, pull over in a safe location, Ghilarducci said. Wait until the shaking stops.

* If you're in a high-rise or multi-level building, don't use the elevator; take the stairs.

* If you do go outside, be mindful of glass or other objects that could fall on you.

* Purchase or make an emergency kit that includes at least one gallon of water per person per day.

* Develop a family plan with where to meet in the event of an emergency should cell service go down.

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