July 9 (UPI) — A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck near the California-Nevada border Thursday afternoon and was followed by dozens of smaller tremors.
The quake was recorded between Walker and Coleville in California’s Mono County about 23 miles southwest of Smith Valley, Nev., at 3:50 p.m. and was originally reported as magnitude 5.9 but was later revised to 6.0.
Officials from the U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was the result of normal faultline activity and was felt as far west as San Francisco, as far east as Carson City, Nev., and as far south as Visala, Calif.
USGS also said there was a 6% likelihood of aftershocks.
“People in the area should expect aftershocks for days following an earthquake of this size,” Jason Ballman of the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California told local news outlet KGO. “We’ve already seen a pretty vigorous aftershock sequence.”
Since the quake, at least 40 aftershocks have been reported near the epicenter.
The magnitude of the aftershocks ranged from 3.0 to 4.6.
California’s Office of Emergency Services tweeted that there were no preliminary reports of damage or injuries but added it was a “rapidly evolving situation” promising more details in the following hours.
“We are working closely with local officials to ensure they have the resources and support to rapidly respond to these earthquakes,” the office said.
The Department of Transportation said about 40 miles of U.S. 395, a major route through the northern Sierra Nevada, was closed due to rockslides following the quake but was later reopened.
