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5.8 Magnitude Quake Triggers Rockslide In Eastern Sierra
An early earthquake warning alert issued to people as far away as Los Angeles (Screenshot/Jacob Margolis)
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A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck just south of Lone Pine, California at 10:40 a.m. Wednesday morning.
The amount of the damage across the area is still unclear.
The Whitney Portal, about three miles from Lone Pine, is closed due to rockslides near the main parking lot. According to the Inyo Sheriff's department there are currently no known injuries.
Community residents reported buildings shaking around them.
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"I looked front and back because I thought a truck hit my building, it hit so hard," said Geoff Brackney, owner of Lone Pine Sporting goods, who grew up in the area. "Never had anything hit the building like that."
"I took off running. This building was built in the thirties. I wasn't going to stick around to see how it was going to damage this thing," he said.
Within a half hour, he said he and his employees had cleaned up the store, picking up small items like bugspray and sunscreen that'd fallen to the ground.
Just two days ago the area experienced a 4.6 magnitude earthquake, now considered a foreshock to today's event.
We just had a M5.8 south of Lone Pine in the Owens Valley. It is the same location as the M4.6 two nights ago. That is now considered a foreshock
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) June 24, 2020
An earthquake early warning was received by people in Los Angeles, with those as far south as Orange County and as far north as Sacramento, also potentially getting a heads up.
As of 11:40 a.m., there was a four percent probability that an earthquake larger than 5.8 could strike the same area some time in the next week, per the the U.S. Geological Survey. The aftershock forecast will continue to change as time goes on.
Just last year nearby Ridgecrest experienced a 6.4 magnitude foreshock on July 4, which was quickly followed by the mainshock, a 7.1 magnitude quake on July 5.
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This is a developing story.
THE BIG ONE IS COMING. GET PREPARED
We don't want to scare you, but the Big One is coming. We don't know when, but we know it'll be at least 44 times stronger than Northridge and 11 times stronger than the Ridgcrest quakes last year. To help you get prepared, we've compiled a handy reading list
- Your Guide To Surviving The Big One
- For Earthquakes, Forget The 'Go-Bag.' Here's How To Prepare
- How To Not Get Life-Threatening Diarrhea After A Major Earthquake
- 10 Earthquake-Related Questions To Ask Your Landlord Immediately
- Listen to KPCC's Podcast The Big One: Your Survival Guide
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