Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Hits California, Shaking Buildings and Blocking a Road

Late Thursday afternoon, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake shook a large region of California, causing buildings to shake and rockslides to block at least one roadway.

"While there are no preliminary reports of damage or casualties, this is a quickly developing scenario," the state's Office of Emergency Services said in a tweet at 4:15 p.m. PDT.

According to the US Geological Service, the earthquake was centered south of Lake Tahoe on the state line in Smith Valley, Nevada.

Felt by Many

According to the USGS shake map, thousands of individuals felt tremors as far north as Redding, west to San Francisco, and south to Delano.

Closing a Road

A rockslide closed a section of US 395 near Bridgeport, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Aftershocks

There were dozens of aftershocks reported.

The USGS' Lind Gee, a geophysicist, told the Sacramento Bee, "It's a fairly significant aftershock sequence."

That's to be expected after such a huge earthquake, according to Gee.

Personal Accounts

John McGinness, a former local sheriff, was performing a radio show.

McGinness told the Bee, "I tried to be composed and say, "I'm experiencing something here." "This one lasted a little longer than the others, so I started getting calls about the earthquake, asking, 'Did you feel that?' It's probably the longest thing I've ever done. After that, I've felt better, but not for very long."

According to the Associated Press, Sally Rosen, who runs a restaurant near the quake's epicenter, told KGO-TV that her 2-year-old was asleep in her arms at her adjacent house when the tremor struck.

"At first, we didn't know what was causing the building to shake," Rosen explained. "It just kept going, and it was really intense and terrifying, to be honest. So we rushed out of the home and into the restaurant because our first thinking was, "Oh my gosh, we need to turn off the gas."

Drop, Cover, and Hold

In most earthquakes, you may protect yourself by immediately doing the following:

Before the earthquake knocks you down, DROP on your hands and knees. This stance keeps you from falling while still allowing you to maneuver if necessary.

COVER your head and neck (and, if feasible, your entire body) with a solid table or desk. If you can't find a safe place to hide, lie down against an interior wall or low-lying furniture that won't fall on you and cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.

HOLD onto your shelter (or your head and neck) until the shaking ends. If the shaking causes your cover to shift, be ready to move with it.

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