California Earthquake Assessments Ongoing; State Of Emergency Declared

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in two counties hit by the earthquakes that struck the state Thursday and Friday and has asked the federal government to step in, while initial reports of damages and losses are still being conducted.

On Thursday, a state of emergency was declared for Kern County following a magnitude-6.4 earthquake centered near the city of Ridgecrest.

The region was hit again Friday with a magnitude-7.1 earthquake in the same vicinity, “causing widespread and significant damage to critical infrastructure, including roads, water lines, and gas lines, resulting in multiple structural fires,” the governor’s office said in an emergency proclamation.

The governor declared a state of emergency Friday for San Bernardino County, which was also affected by the earthquakes.