A 6.9 magnitude quake rocks Ridgecrest

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Southern California on Friday night, the second in less than two days.

The quake was centered near Ridgecrest, location of the July 4th 6.4 magnitude temblor that was the largest in nearly 20 years.

That quake caused minor damage and injuries around the epicenter.

This quake was much larger.

Residents of Ridgecrest and other communities began focusing on recovery after the largest earthquake in nearly two decades, but that proved difficult as a series of powerful aftershocks strained nerves and brought sleepless nights.

The town of 29,000 was already on high alert after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake upended Fourth of July celebrations. Then before dawn Friday, a magnitude 5.4 quake struck near the epicenter. It was felt as far away as Laguna Hills, San Bernardino, Fresno and Las Vegas. By Friday afternoon, there had been at least 17 magnitude 4 aftershocks, and at least 1,200 total quakes.

Jamil Osmani, 38, and Abdul Hugais, 32, and their families resorted to camping at a park next to City Hall on Thursday evening, preferring the open sky over the roof of their homes.

“We got tired of running out of our house,” Osmani said.

The aftershock sequence was slowing with time, California Institute of Technology seismologist Egill Hauksson said. But he warned that it would last months, if not years. On Friday, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and Caltech said there was still a 6% chance of an aftershock of magnitude 6 or greater.

It was a day of progress and heartbreak in Ridgecrest. Workers cleaned up stores littered with debris from falling merchandise, and volunteers tended to books that fell off shelves at the library. The quake brought intense shaking to the area, causing some damage to homes and businesses but no major casualties.