Earthquake Sunday south of Topaz Lake adjusted to a 3.4 magnitude; aftershocks continue
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Sun, 07/11/2021 - 11:14am
UPDATE 3:28 PM: The Nevada Seismological Center has adjusted the earthquake Sunday morning from a 3.2 to a 3.4 magnitude.
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Hundreds of small earthquakes have been recorded since Thursday's 5.9 magnitude earthquake that shook the area near the Nevada, California border south of Topaz Lake near Coleville. One of the larger ones in the swarm series happened Sunday morning, with a 3.4 magnitude at 5:35 a.m.
According to the Nevada Seismological Center, the earthquake was centered 10.9 miles south of Topaz Lake. On Saturday night, there was a magnitude 3.1 magnitude at 11:09 p.m., according to USGS.
While most of the earthquakes in the following days since the 5.9 on Thursday haven't been large enough to be felt, the series of quakes is a reminder that the northern Nevada and northern California region is surrounded by faults and that earthquakes can strike suddenly, without warning and can be violent.
Rapid shaking of the ground causes rocks to move deep underneath the earth’s surface causing the ground to separate or collapse unevenly which can damage homes and businesses, said the Nevada Division of Emergency Management in a news release.
Local and state agencies urge Nevadans to consider earthquake preparedness as their number one defense. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers to serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake.
A few simple actions can reduce property damage and the disruption to your lives caused by earthquakes. The best time to plan for a disaster is before is happens. Being prepared in the event an emergency causes you to be self-reliant for two weeks without utilities and electricity, water service, access to a supermarket or local services, household medical needs or maybe even without response from police, fire, or rescue, the news release states.
Start with these important steps:
— Be informed. Stay in the know about emergencies that could happen in your community and identify sources of information in your community that will be helpful before, during and after an emergency.
— Make a plan. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area. Know how you will contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that is familiar and easy to find.
— Build an emergency supply kit. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency. Include family members with special needs and your pets.
— Get involved. Get trained on basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
— Protect Your Home. Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, televisions and objects that hang on walls. Store heavy and breakable objects on low shelves. Consider making improvements to your building to fix structural issues that could cause your building to collapse during an earthquake. Consider obtaining an earthquake insurance policy. A standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover earthquake damage.
— Drop. Cover. Hold on. In most situations, you can protect yourself if you immediately: DROP down onto your hands and knees before the earthquake knocks you down. This position protects you from falling but allows you to still move if necessary. COVER your head and neck (and your entire body if possible) underneath a sturdy table or desk. If there is no shelter nearby, get down near an interior wall or next to low-lying furniture that won’t fall on you, and cover your head and neck with your arms and hands. HOLD ON to your shelter (or to your head and neck) until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking shifts it around.
Go here for more information about measures Nevadans can take to prepare for earthquakes.
