A powerful earthquake with a preliminary 6.4 magnitude rocked Southern California on Thursday, marking the strongest earthquake in the region since 1999, officials said.
“We will continue to have a lot of aftershocks,” seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones warned at a news conference following the quake. “I think the chance of having a magnitude 5 [aftershock] … it’s probably greater than 50-50.”
The Fourth of July quake, which struck at about 10:30 a.m. local time, was centered in a remote area near Searles Valley in the Mojave Desert, about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
“This is an isolated enough location that that’s going to greatly reduce the damage,” Jones said.
She added, “This is a large enough earthquake that it probably did break through to the surface of the earth.”
In San Bernardino County, the quake broke water mains, downed power lines, cracked buildings and caused rock slides on roads, officials said. No injuries or fires were reported in San Bernardino County, officials added.
In Kern County, structure fires were reported near the city of Ridgecrest, according to fire officials.
Stella's Place 
Wonder what more will happen?
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The result, perhaps, of all of the cheering, applause and foot stomping on the Mall in DC????
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An extended family member in Irvine reported cracked ceilings.
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That’s not good.
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Earthquakes are definitely scary. 6.4 is severe…not as bad as the ones in southern California in 1971 and 1994 but still awful. I don’t want to ever be in one again.
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I remember the one in 1971, since I had relatives living there, and my uncle and aunt were visiting at the time. My uncle Tom said he was leaving and never ever returning to California!
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We felt it. Mrs N freaked out.
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I forget–where are you located now?
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Las Vegas
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Ah, yes, now I remember.
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My motherr lived in Los Angrles in the 1940’s. One morning when she woke up, her bed was out in the middle of the room! Seems an earthquake overnight moved it. She slept through it!
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I have a friend who lives in North San Diego. She said they didn’t even feel it.
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Too far away, I understand. This was Bakersfield/Mojave Desert area.
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