5.4 magnitude earthquake shakes California
7/7/2010, 10:39 p.m. EDT
The Associated Press
(AP) ? The (Arizona) Desert Sun
A 5.4 magnitude earthquake shook one of California's most active faults Wednesday, causing a rock slide near Palm Springs.
The quake was originally declared to be a 5.9 magnitude tremor, but was later downgraded by the United States Geological Survey. It hit at 4:53 p.m.
There were no immediate reports of property damage or injuries. The epicenter was 13 miles northwest of Borrego Springs, and 28 miles south of Palm Springs, according to the USGS. Its center was 6.8 miles deep.
U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucille Jones - one of the nation's top earthquake experts - told The Desert Sun the quake occurred in what's known as the San Jacinto fault zone, which is the most seismically active fault in California.
The shaking was felt as far away as Las Vegas, San Diego and Ridgecrest, which is 100 miles north of Los Angeles.
"Oh man, it was just a real sharp jerk, a tremendous jolt," said Lynn Hunter of Indio, who was standing in the kitchen of her Sun City Shadow Hills home. "The floor actually came up a little in the kitchen. The floor actually kind of buckled a little in the middle."
Here are the latest developments from the quake:
- Elevators at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa were temporarily out of service, with an unknown number of guests and team members inside. They were out by 5:49 p.m.
"We are told the elevators are very, very sensitive to any earthquakes," said Therese Everett-Kerley, a spokesperson for the casinos operated by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.
- Palm Springs police received reports that the shaking caused a rock slide at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway near Highway 111. Officials said they responded to the location and "determined that there were no injuries or damage as a result of the rock slide."
Dust could be seen coming off the mountain. But the tram is operating as normal, officials said.
- At the Palm Springs International Airport, aviation director Tom Nolan said there was a "momentary halt" in operations as crews checked their systems. Nolan said the airport is now "up and functional."
- Crystal Fantasy owner Joy Meredith said this is the first time a quake caused damage for her Palm Springs store. A number of items - including a large fossil piece - fell off the store shelves. She estimates damage to be around $1,000. "It's not disastrous or anything," Meredith said, describing the shaking as "a scary one."
- Officials are currently assessing John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital but so far have not seen any impact to the hospital. At Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, officials determined there was no damage.
This is the first major quake to hit the desert since Easter Sunday's 7.2 magnitude quake near the California-Mexico border. Since this afternoon's quake hit, USGS has reported at least five aftershocks larger than 3.0 in magnitude
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