According to USGS, the quake hit in Walker, California at 3:49 p.m. and says there is a 6% chance that a larger earthquake could follow.
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Since the quake there have been at least 40 aftershocks near the epicenter which is close to Markleeville, a small community near the state line.
The magnitude of the aftershocks ranged from 3.0 to 4.6.
U.S. 395, a major route through the northern Sierra Nevada, was closed because of rock slides, the state Department of Transportation said. The closure stretched about 40 miles (64 km) from near the tiny community of Willow Springs in Mono County north to Nevada border.
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Kevin Cooper, a former spokesman for ski resorts near Lake Tahoe, joined ABC7 by phone from Tahoe City.
He said the quake caused the “biggest jolts I’ve felt in Lake Tahoe in sometime.”
Cooper described how he saw a “roller” wave from north to south on the lake as the quake hit.
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We spoke to Sally Rosen, who owns a popular burger restaurant in Walker, near the epicenter, said her 2-year-old was napping in her arms in her home behind the restaurant when the earthquake hit.
“We felt the shaking of the building, and we didn’t know quite what it was at first,” said Rosen. “It kept going, and it was pretty intense and scary, frankly. So we ran out of the house as fast as we could and ran to the restaurant because the first thought was, ‘Oh my goodness, we need to shut off the gas.'”
VIDEO: Lake Tahoe’s Kevin Cooper describes ‘roller” wave on lake as quake hit
Cups and other items flew off the shelves, and oil splattered from the fryers, she said.
Communities all around Lake Tahoe and as far south as Fresno, California, felt the earthquake, which had a depth of 6 miles (9.8 km).
“People in the area should expect aftershocks for days following an earthquake of this size,” said Jason Ballman with the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California. “We’ve already seen a pretty vigorous aftershock sequence.”
Ballman cautioned that reports of damage or injury might not be available for days because a lot of the shaking was felt in remote areas.
Preliminary reports had indicated two earthquakes striking 25 seconds but 100 miles apart. But the U.S. Geological Survey revised the shaking and removed the report of a magnitude 4.8 quake in Farmington, about five miles southeast of Stockton, the Sacramento Bee said.
“While there are no preliminary reports of damage or injuries, this is a rapidly evolving situation & more details will emerge in the coming hours.” California’s Office of Emergency Services tweeted. “We are working closely with local officials to ensure they have the resources and support to rapidly respond to these earthquakes.”
While there are no preliminary reports of damage or injuries, this is a rapidly evolving situation & more details will emerge in the coming hours
We are working closely with local officials to ensure they have the resources and support to rapidly respond to these earthquakes
— Cal OES (@Cal_OES) July 8, 2021
Good afternoon, earthquake Twitter.
— Jessica Christian (@jachristian) July 8, 2021
My building just shook. SF, was that an earthquake?!
My 10-week-old didn’t care. She likes rocking motions.
— Alok GET UR VAX Patel (@AlokPatelMD) July 8, 2021
352 pm – Earthquake felt at Sacramento NWS office. Maybe 1 minute length. Blinds moving. Light building motion/shaking movement.
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) July 8, 2021
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The Associated Press has contributed to this story.
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