An earthquake with an early measure of magnitude 6.4 hit Southern California, about 150 miles north of Los Angeles, on Thursday morning, according to the US Geological Survey.
Reports of scattered damage rolled in by midday.
At least four large aftershocks have been recorded, measuring 4.7, 3.5, 3.8 and 4.2 magnitude, officials said.
The earthquake was felt in central Los Angeles as a long, rolling quake, making buildings rock back and forth for at least several seconds.
Diane Ruggiero, general manager of the Hampton Inn and Suites Ridgecrest in Ridgecrest, told CNN’s Paul Vercammen that the hotel has significant damage.
“The chandeliers are still swinging,” she said five minutes after the quake hit at 10:33 PT. “The floor rippled.”
Los Angeles International Airport said no damage was reported on runways. “Operations remain normal,” it tweeted.
Felt in Las Vegas
Trona, an unincorporated community in San Bernadino County, “sustained varying degrees of damage” but no injuries have been reported, according to San Bernadino County Fire’s verified Twitter account.
The department reported “minor cracks (in buildings); broken water mains; power lines down; rock slides on certain roads” in northwestern communities in the county.
The epicenter was about 60 miles north-northwest of Barstow.
The National Weather Service tweeted that the earthquake was felt in Las Vegas, adding, “so far no significant damage reports.”
A tsunami is not expected, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.
There have been at least 25 aftershocks, according to USGS research geophysicist William Yeck.
He was called into work at the agency’s office in Golden, Colorado. “We’re getting calls off the hook,” he said.
Reactions on social media
A woman on Twitter shared video from “My dads liquor store in Ridgecrest (11 miles from the earthquake)
Filmmaker Ava DuVernay tweeted, “Been living in Los Angeles all my life. That was the longest earthquake I’ve ever experienced. Not jerky. Smooth and rolling. But it was loooong. It was so long I thought for the first time ever “Is this the big one?” Damn. Respect Mother Nature. She’s the boss.”
