A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck southern California on the Fourth of July (Thursday) at 10:33 am local time, the largest to hit the area since the 7.1-magnitude Hector Mine quake in 1999.
People who were affected from Las Vegas to the Pacific Coast said they felt a “rolling motion” that shook their shower doors and made their hanging lights sway.
The epicenter of the quake was located close to the city of Ridgecrest, in the Searles Valley, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles and about 120 miles west of Las Vegas. It was felt in both places and in Phoenix, Arizona as well.
According to seismologist Lucy Jones, quoted by KSNV Channel 3 News in Las Vegas, the earthquake was on a strikeslip fault, which is not part of the San Andreas fault.
There were no reports of major damage or injuries.
