Where are the earthquakes in California?
The recent sizable earthquakes California has experienced have been centered in an area around Ridgecrest. Ridgecrest is just south of Death Valley National Park, and its nearest large cities include Bakersfield on the east and Las Vegas on the west.
Los Angeles Area Earthquakes
We’ve had quite a few inquires from guests wondering how Los Angeles is doing during all of this seismic activity? We’re perfectly fine. Ridgecrest is 145 miles north of Hollywood and Beverly Hills, or 2 hours and 15 minutes away by vehicle. Yes, we’ve definitely felt the rolling motion around Los Angeles from these quakes, both no real damage, other than those with rattled nerves.
Earthquakes are a fact of life here in California. We get over 10,000 earthquakes a year, and 99% plus, are never felt. For years, the big one has been predicted. Our last major earthquake centered in the general area happened in Northridge back in 1994. It measured 6.7 on the Richter scale. The earthquake that happened in Ridgecrest last night (Friday, July 5th) measured 7.1. Just those few digits make a huge difference. For example, the July 4th earthquake in Ridgecrest was a 6.4, so the follow up 7.1 quake was 5 times bigger and 11 times stronger.
Long story short, Mother Nature is just doing her job. Come to Los Angeles, and if you do experience a trembler, think of all the great stories you’ll get to tell when you get back home. Trust when we say even the native Angelenos that have been through dozens of earthquakes can still get a little unnerved. It makes a world of difference when you’re actually not in a structure. Last night, the Glitterati Tours team was having some down time with a BBQ on the patio, when the rolling started. All of us found it incredibly exciting as we watched the palm trees swaying back and forth. Of course, we collectively had 9 bottles of wine, so that might have helped.
Want more info on earthquakes? Follow Dr. Lucy Jones on Twitter. She’s known as The Earthquake Lady, and she’s a familiar face for everyone living in SoCal. She’s a seismologist, and is the go to professional when media has questions about seismic activity.
