The two major earthquakes that hit Southern California last week should alert people across the nation of the need to be prepared for natural disasters, the state’s governor said, as officials expressed relief that the damages weren’t worse.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Saturday that governments must strengthen alert systems and building codes, and residents should make sure they know how to protect themselves during an earthquake. Friday’s earthquake was the largest one in Southern California in nearly 20 years. Officials voiced concerns about the possibility of major aftershocks in the days and even months to come. No fatalities or major injuries were reported after the 7.1-magnitude quake, which jolted an area from Sacramento to Mexico. The quake struck at 8:19 p.m. Friday and was centered 11 miles from Ridgecrest, the same area of the desert where a 6.4-magnitude temblor hit on Thursday. It left behind cracked and burning buildings, broken roads, obstructed railroad tracks and leaking water and gas lines. The light damage was largely due to the remoteness of the area where the earthquake occurred. Newsom estimated more than $100 million in economic damage and said President Trump called him to offer federal support in the rebuilding effort.
