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Strong Quake Hits the Golden
State |
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A
5.4-magnitude earthquake struck a populated area of southern
California on Tuesday, 29 miles
southeast of Los Angeles. The quake rattled windows and made
buildings sway, sending people running into the streets, but no
major damage or serious injuries were reported.
The tremors of the quake were felt
from Los Angles to San Diego, and as far east as Las Vegas. Over
30 aftershocks followed the initial quake, the largest being
estimated at 3.8
Buildings in downtown LA swayed for
several seconds, leading to the evacuation of some offices. One
man remarked, “I really thought the building might collapse,"
but Tuesday's quake was far less powerful than the deadly
magnitude 6.7 northridge quake that occurred on Jan. 17 1994.
A 7.1 quake also struck the desert areas in 1999.
The quake interrupted a meeting of
the Los Angles city council, causing the City Hall building
to sway for several seconds. Merchandise toppled from many store
shelves, but there was
no immediate life threatening situation. Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger said, "I thank God there
have not been any reports of serious injuries or major damage to
property. But people are understandably very nervous."
Earlier this year, scientists have
already calculated that California faces a 99.7 percent chance
of a magnitude 6.7 quake or larger in the next 30 years. |
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