Magnitude 5.5 to 6 earthquakes are known to cause some damage to buildings and other structures, meaning that the best idea is to rapidly get beneath a solid structure if such a jolt starts.
According to NBCNews.com, a magnitude six earthquake has jolted and scared Americans living in California and Nevada on Thursday, at about 4 p.m. The event even caused boulders to fall onto a major roadway and days of aftershocks.
No injuries or major damage reported
The earthquake was centred south of Lake Tahoe near Walker, meaning a small rural community from Eastern Nevada.
NBC News’s YouTube channel shared a video that presents rock sliding due to the magnitude six earthquake:
Carolina Estrada, who is manager at Walker Coffee Company, declared as quoted by NBC News:
The ground was shaking pretty bad, and then everything started falling.
Estrada also said that the quake lasted for about 30 seconds, and confirmed that boulders the size of cars fell onto U.S. 395.
According to USGS, the strongest earthquake ever recorded occurred in Chile a long time ago: in 1960. The event had a magnitude of 9.5. Britannica.com writes that Chilean government officials estimate that two million people were directly affected by that earthquake. The Chilean National Emergency Office estimates that over 800 people died.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), once an earthquake kicks in, you must stay away from fireplaces, outer walls, windows, and hanging objects. Also, if you’re unable to move, you have to protect yourself by covering up using pillows or blankets. If you’re outdoors during the jolt, it’s best to stay away from buildings, trees, and telephone poles.
Unfortunately for all of us, no scientists were ever able to predict a major earthquake. UGS scientists are only able to calculate the probability of a strong jolt occurring.
