A magnitude 4.9 aftershock tumbled east of Ridgecrest, Calif., on Friday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The temblor occurred in an area that was struck by a pair of strong earthquakes just a week ago and has been rattled by thousands of aftershocks.

It was strong enough to wake mer up here in Ridgecrest! — Brian Olson (@mrbrianolson) July 12, 2019

(Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times)


In the past 10 days, there have been 649 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.

The aftershock was powerful enough to cause strong shaking — or level 6 on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale — at the unpopulated epicenter. Moderate shaking, or level 5, was felt in Ridgecrest.

The quake was strong enough to wake some people in downtown Los Angeles and was felt as far away as Bakersfield, Death Valley and Orange County.

The Los Angeles Fire Department entered Earthquake Emergency Mode, it announced shortly after the quake. Fire department vehicles and helicopters will patrol the 470-square-mile jurisdiction to identify any damage or emergency needs.


Friday’s quake occurred at 6:11 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of 5.6 miles, the USGS said.

Since the magnitude 6.4 quake on July 4, there have been 70 subsequent quakes of magnitude 4 or greater, including the magnitude 7.1 quake of July 5.

An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.

Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.


Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step guide to coping with natural disasters.

This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.

FULL COVERAGE: Earthquakes rock Southern California »

Drinking a cup of coffee, sitting on hotel bed when it kicked off, strong enough to make me drop and cover. Fortunately it was over quickly. Making a new cup of coffee. — Cynthia Pridmore (@earthquakemom) July 12, 2019


MORE: Your instinct may be to run outside during an earthquake. Here’s why you shouldn’t »