A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Searles Valley area this evening, felt as far away as Santa Barbara, about 160 miles away as the crow flies. The U.S. Geological Survey registered the major quake at 8:19 p.m. in the Mojave Desert area about 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest. Locally, a slow roll was felt. Reports from Ventura are of a slightly stronger and prolonged temblor.
The Fourth of July quake in the same area was a 6.4, the largest in 20 years, the Los Angeles Times reported; the paper is also calling today’s a 7.1. Aftershocks continue in the 4 to 4.7 range, according to earthquaketrack.com.
Update: This story has updated USGS information regarding quake magnitude, first reported as a 6.9, and location of the quake.