Tremors felt in Yuma County, other parts of Ariz. and Mexico

An earthquake created waves in Steve Johnston’s pool Friday evening. The Yuma resident was among several locals to post on social media that they felt the latest in a series of earthquakes shaking Southern California in the last couple days.

Rene Tacker-Rodriguez also felt the tremor in Wellton, noting that it rocked the dining room chandelier.

The U.S. Geological Survey called the 8:19 p.m. Friday quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 and centered 11 miles from Ridgecrest, Calif., the strongest in 20 years. There were several reports of injuries and damage to roads and buildings, according to The Associated Press.

The USGS reported that people as far as Las Vegas and Mexico felt a rolling motion that seemed to last at least a half-minute.

Residents in and around the Phoenix area also reported feeling the earthquake, according to the Arizona Republic website.

Seismologists say there have been 1,700 aftershocks since the first quakes started on Thursday, but the chances of another large temblor are diminishing.

A magnitude 5.4 quake at 4:07 a.m. Friday followed the 6.4 quake which struck in the Mojave Desert near the town of Ridgecrest at 10:33 a.m. Thursday.

Zachary Ross of the California Institute of Technology says the number of aftershocks might be slightly higher than average. He also says a quake of that size could continue producing aftershocks for years.

The quake caused some damage to buildings and roads in and around Ridgecrest.

However, seismologists say it’s unlikely the quake will affect any fault lines away from the immediate area, such as the mighty San Andreas.

The USGS also recorded quakes measuring 4.6 at 11:39 p.m. Thursday four miles from Ridgecrest, 4.6 at 11:56 a.m. Thursday nine miles from Ridgecrest, and 5.4 at 4:07 p.m. Friday 11 miles from Ridgecrest.