6.0 magnitude earthquake reported south of Lake Tahoe area
(KION)
UPDATE 7/9/2021 6:40 a.m. A 6.0 earthquake that shook the area south of Lake Tahoe was felt as far away as Las Vegas and the Bay Area Thursday, and officials say they expect aftershocks to continue to shake the area for days.
The earthquake's epicenter was in the area around Walker in Mono County, near the Nevada state line.
A section of US 395 was closed temporarily due to rockslides. Officials tell the Associated Press that some vehicles were hit by the falling rocks, but no injuries were reported.
It was the largest earthquake in the area since a 6.1 hit in 1994.
UPDATE 7/8/2021 5:50 p.m. The USGS has upgraded the earthquake south of Lake Tahoe up from 5.9 magnitude to 6.0.
The USGS says the earthquake was reported in Mono County at about 3:49 p.m. The area is known as the Antelope Valley fault zone because there are several faults.
So far, there have been dozens of aftershocks, ranging from 4.6 magnitude to about 3.0.
The US 395 has reopened after rocks fell into the roadway, but Caltrans said crews will remain at the scene in case there are aftershocks.
UPDATE 7/8/2021 4:20 p.m. The USGS reports that a 5.9 earthquake shook eastern California Thursday afternoon.
The earthquake shook the area south of Lake Tahoe in Mono County shortly before 4 p.m. and was reportedly felt as far away as Sacramento and the Bay Area.
The agency previously reported that there was also a 4.8 magnitude earthquake near Stockton, but the USGS has removed it. It appears the shaking was part of the earthquake in Mono County.
CORRECTION: USGS has removed Stockton area quake. Looks like it was just the big M5.9 in Mono County. https://t.co/TaWJy8tpYs pic.twitter.com/i08ejf94RG
— Dann Cianca (@danncianca) July 8, 2021
Caltrans reports that crews are responding to several reports of rockslides on US 395 and SR 89 resulting from the quake. Crews are detouring traffic on US 395 to SR 182 in Bridgeport while crews remove fallen rocks.
ATTN DRIVERS: @Caltrans9 is responding to several reports of rockslides on U.S. 395 and SR 89 in northern Mono County following a 4.8 earthquake. Traffic may be temporarily delayed or re-routed as crews work to remove the rocks from the road. pic.twitter.com/Y8w8Chn5GK
— Caltrans District 9 (@Caltrans9) July 8, 2021
The California Office of Emergency Services says there were no preliminary reports of damage or injuries, but it is still a developing situation.
Several aftershocks have been reported in the area. The largest reported so far was a magnitude 4.6 earthquake.
PREVIOUS STORY: The USGS reports that a preliminary 5.9 magnitude earthquake shook the area south of Lake Tahoe Thursday afternoon.
The earthquake was reported near Smith Valley, Nevada, near the California-Nevada border shortly before 4 p.m.
There are USGS reports that it was felt strongly around Toiyabe National Forest, Reno and Sacramento.
A 4.8 earthquake was reported a short time later near Farmington, California, in the Stockton area. There are reports that it was felt in parts of the Bay Area and Central Valley.
