7.2 Earthquake Hits Baja California - Updates, Plus New Photos and Videos - Felt By 20 Million People

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-428979?hpt=C2

Pretty dramatic video during/after earthquake...

CNN producer note

sarahklaus21 and friends were driving on the highway south of Mexicali when the earthquake struck. 'The car started to sway back and forth with enough force for us to question if we had blown a tire or if there was something wrong with the road,' she said. 'We finally realized it was an earthquake and pulled over.'

- katie, CNN iReport producer

iReport —

We were driving on the highway just south of Mexicali when the earthquake started to sway our car back and forth. We pulled over to watch huge amounts of dust be kicked up in the mountains and ride out the rest of the shaker.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=weather/earthquake_center&id=7368031
VIDEO

By Amy Powell and Gene Gleeson

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- After the 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the U.S.-Mexico border on Easter, aftershocks continue to rattle the area.

The largest aftershock was a 5.4-magnitude, which struck about an hour after the original quake, but smaller aftershocks persisted into Monday, including a 3.2-magnitude at 5:47 a.m.

"We should expect that if you felt the first earthquake strongly, you are going to be feeling other earthquakes," said USGS seismologist Lucy Jones. "There will be plenty of aftershocks over the next few days. There's the potential that those aftershocks will spread over a pretty large area."

The seismic waves from the earthquake rattled much of Southern California and parts of Arizona and Las Vegas. Caltech estimated that at least 20 million people felt the earthquake.

"Oh man, it was bad, big time. We started running," said Mexicali resident Rosa Vasquez.

The quake hit at 3:40 p.m. on the Laguna Salada fault, which stretches 43 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border. The last time it produced a major quake was 1892.

The quake was centered about 30 miles south of Mexicali in an area that had been rocked with magnitude 3.0 quakes all week.

In Calexico, which is right along the Mexican border, there are piles of glass and broken concrete and tiles. Authorities said most of the damage occurred in the downtown area, where buildings were constructed in the '30s and '40s and not retrofitted for an earthquake of this magnitude. Due to such construction, many buildings are in partial or full collapse.

City crews were out on Monday collecting light poles, which bent over in the shaking. The entire downtown shopping area has been red-tagged because of the structural damage.

"There was substantial damage down to our most oldest part of town," said Calexico Fire Chief Peter Mercado. "We had our hands full for the last few hours, but we're trying to sustain and stabilize and really get a good grasp as for the damage, but we won't have a good idea until tomorrow morning."

Calexico is a major retail center, catering to Mexican shoppers from Mexicali.

The quake shut down the border crossing between Calexico and Mexicali, which has almost never happened before. The border gate is one of the busiest in the world. While no vehicles are being allowed to cross the border, pedestrians are crossing along a railroad track that runs alongside the gates.

"It moved the cars. It picked it up and literally moved the vehicle."

According to Calexico's fire chief, about two dozen people were injured during the shaking, but most of those injuries were minor.

Mexicali is still struggling with the effects of all the shaking. Calexico's fire chief said his counterpart in Mexicali is asking for an emergency hookup of water from the U.S. side.

Water mains in Mexicali were destroyed, so there wasn't enough water to fight fires on Sunday afternoon that broke out in the city. Many structures burned to the ground.

"We want to help them, but I think that at this time right now we want to take care of our city," said Calexico Mayor David Ouza.

According to the Tijuana Civil Protection Director Alfredo Escobedo, the powerful earthquake killed a man whose home collapsed in northern Mexico. Escobedo also said that another person was killed when the person panicked as the ground shook, ran into the street and was struck by a car.

Many residents were just sitting down to Easter gatherings when the earthquake hit. Shaking lasted between 40 to 50 seconds.

"The cars were just moving, like they were just toy cars. Our vehicle was parked parallel against the sidewalk. When it was over, the car was facing (almost perpendicular)," said Alonzo Lucero of Calexico.

The quake was one of the strongest to hit Southern California in decades, and high-rise buildings in Los Angeles and San Diego rocked back and forth when it hit. There were reports of shattered windows, broken pipes and water main breaks in private buildings in San Diego, but there were no reports of injuries.

The quake knocked out power to 346 California Edison customers in Rancho Palos Verdes. Customers in Huntington Beach, Montebello and Compton reported having "flickering lights."

According to Jennifer Ramp of San Diego Gas & Electric, nearly 2,400 customers lost power in Dana Point, just inside the Orange County line. In San Diego County, more than 600 customers lost power in Borrego Springs when the earthquake struck, Ramp said. Utility officials said that all Southern California residents who experienced any power interruption regained it within minutes.

According to Disneyland security, all of their rides were shut down after the quake. There were initial reports of people being trapped in elevators at the nearby Disneyland Hotel, but those reports were false. All attractions were back open and running in normal condition by 7:30 p.m.

http://cbs2.com/local/earthquake.quake.socal.2.1611781.html

Apr 5, 2010 2:12 pm US/Pacific
More Aftershocks Likely After 7.2-Magnitude Quake
7.2 Earthquake Kills 2 Near Mexicali, Rattles Parts Of California, Arizona

Calexico, California -

Inspectors found a landscape of smashed windows and caved-in roofs in this struggling border city's historic downtown on Monday after a deadly Easter earthquake in nearby Mexico.

The 7.2-magnitude temblor struck just south of the U.S. border near Mexicali, killing two people and destroying dozens of businesses and homes there and severely injuring another in the neighboring California town of El Centro.

In Calexico, the hardest-hit U.S. city, the quake damaged nearly 80 percent of the city's historic downtown area, authorities said. Three tanks holding the city's water supply were damaged, City Manager Victor Carrillo said.

City officials asked residents to limit water use to essential bathing, cooking and washing.

The quake was the latest blow to a region struggling with the state's highest unemployment rate, said Hildy Carrillo, executive director of the Calexico Chamber of Commerce.

"It will be months before downtown is back," Carrillo said. "It's a mess."

Philip Kim and his family spent much of the night picking up bottles of shampoo, lotion and beauty products at his Best Price beauty products store. The downtown area is comprised primarily of discount and 99-cent type stores.

"It's a hard situation and sales were just picking up in March," Kim said.

He said 90 percent of his customers were from Mexicali and he was worried they wouldn't come back for awhile from the bustling commercial center along Mexico's border with California.

Sal Farah, 62, spent the night in his 50-year-old downtown Yturralde Furniture store, fearing it could be looted since the giant storefront windows were knocked out by the quake.

"I didn't get much sleep, especially in the morning when it shook hard again," Farah said, standing in the store littered by broken vases, lamps and shattered knickknacks. They planned to board up the windows later Monday.

One person was critically injured in El Centro, Imperial County Fire Chief Tony Rouhotas said, though he would not release other details about the person.

It was not immediately clear if the victim was the same person who was hit in the head with a car wash sign Sunday.

Scientists measured about 100 aftershocks early Monday, said seismologist Kate Hutton at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Statistically, there will be one aftershock of around 6.0 and perhaps 10 of 5.0 or larger, Hutton said.

"This is really what we would expect for a magnitude 7.2 earthquake and we could in fact have, there is a possibility of an aftershock above 6," Hutton told CBS 2's Randy Paige.

The U.S. damage appeared to be limited to California's southeastern Imperial Valley in what was one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in decades. The shaking was felt hundreds of miles away in Phoenix and Las Vegas.

http://cbs2.com/quake/earthquake.quake.socal.2.1612772.html
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Apr 5, 2010 2:15 pm US/Pacific
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Fire Chief: Quake Critically Injures 1 In SoCal
7.2 Earthquake Kills 2 Near Mexicali, Rattles Parts Of California, Arizona

CALEXICO, Calif. (CBS) ―

The Imperial County fire chief said one person was critically injured by Sunday's earthquake and remains hospitalized in El Centro.

It's perhaps the most serious injury reported in the U.S. following the 7.2-magnitude quake centered in nearby Mexicali, Mexico. Two people were killed and more than 100 injured in Mexicali.

Imperial County Fire Chief Tony Rouhotas said he doesn't have details about the injury in El Centro. It is unknown if the victim was the same person hospitalized after being struck on the head by a car wash sign. Messages left at the hospital were not immediately returned.

A spokesman for the El Centro Fire Department said he would not release details until a report was finished. A spokesman at the car wash said he could not talk about it.

David Ouzan, Calexico's mayor, said the city is in emergency mode now. However, after all the repairs are made, officials will see the real impact the quake had on the city's economy, according to KCAL 9's Rita Garcia.

"It's gonna hurt our economy. It's going to hurt our budget but we have to deal with the emergency first and we worry about the economy later. I think people are quick to recuperate and recover," Ouzan said.

Scientists have recorded about 100 aftershocks early Monday morning, said seismologist Kate Hutton at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

"This is really what we would expect for a magnitude 7.2 earthquake and we could in fact have, there is a possibility of an aftershock above 6," Hutton told KCAL 9's Randy Paige.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/mexicali-earthquake-normal-mexico-...

Mexicali gradually returning to normal after earthquake, Mexican officials say

April 5, 2010 | 11:49 am

The Los Angeles Times

Normal routines gradually returned Monday to the border city of Mexicali, Mexico, hit hard Easter Sunday by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake felt as far away as Los Angeles and Phoenix, Mexican authorities said.
“Little by little, things are coming back to normal,” said Alejandro Contreras, a spokesman for the state government in Mexicali, a sprawling municipality of almost 1 million situated about 125 miles east of San Diego. “People are nervous, of course, but we are calling for calm and working to restore services.”

The quake left two dead and about 230 injured, none seriously, said Jorge Sanchez Rendon, another government spokesman. Most of the injured had scratches and bruises, he said.

The northbound border into Calexico, Calif., from Mexicali, Mexico, remained closed to automobile traffic Monday morning because of concerns about damage to the U.S. federal building, but people were allowed to walk through checkpoints into the U.S. as aftershocks rattled the region.

Authorities reported a total of 45 collapsed or partially collapsed buildings in Baja California.

Power and water supply was being restored, authorities said, though much of the city seemed without power early Monday and many traffic lights were not functioning. Authorities said the damaged water supply system was improving, but that pressure was low.

Much of the visible damage downtown was from broken glass. People walked on the streets and cars circulated cautiously. Officials said electric power had been restored by mid-morning to 75% of users in Mexicali. Half a dozen electrical sub-stations were being evaluated for damage, authorities said.

Thousands of people slept outside Sunday night as aftershocks shook the city, keeping nerves frayed. Authorities were setting up temporary shelters, especially in rural areas where the quake ruptured irrigation canals and led to extensive flooding.

Mexicali is a major farming center, and irrigation is essential to the industry.

“There is a bit of a psychosis, people are scared, especially with all the aftershocks,” Contreras said. “We’re urging everyone not to panic, to know that help is being provided.”

Authorities stressed that reservoirs were safe and amply supplied and there was no danger that Mexicali or the coastal city of Tijuana would run out of water. A major aqueduct was being evaluated for damage but that should not affect water supply, officials said.

Some major roads, including the Mexicali-Tijuana highway, suffered damage but were still functioning, officials said. Officials were examining roads statewide.

Hundreds of motorists and vacationers returning home after Easter break were stranded between Mexicali and Tecate to the west and San Felipe to the south after running out of gasoline. Gas pumps were crippled by the lack of electricity.

Four shelters were set up in Mexicali for people whose homes were destroyed or who were afraid to sleep inside their homes. Thousands of people slept outside Sunday night as dozens of aftershocks continued to shake. University classes scheduled to resume Monday were suspended.

Baja California Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan said patients from Mexicali’s damaged hospital were being treated in tents while crews of inspectors were moving through the city to survey damage.

“Little by little the calm is returning,” Osuna said.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon planned to visit the city Monday afternoon to review the damage personally. Osuna said he planned to ask the president to declare the city a disaster area, thus making it eligible for federal aid.

Although cars were prohibited from crossing north from Mexicali into Calexico, Calif., people walked over the border.
Meantime, a steady stream of cars drove south into Mexicali as residents attempted to check on their loved ones. Phones in Mexico were not working.

In Calexico, downtown merchants could be seen sweeping broken glass and fallen plaster away from their storefronts and covering walkways. Many buildings were red-tagged until officials could inspect them further. Calexico police patrolled the downtown area overnight to watch for looting, but none occurred.

An aftershock hit about 4:12 a.m., causing car alarms to go off all over town, and the cacophony continued for hours.

Traffic was slow Monday morning along westbound Interstate 8 in El Centro as Caltrans checked for problems on the freeway that may have been caused by the earthquake.

-- Tony Perry in Mexicali, Mexico, Tracy Wilkinson in Mexico City and Patrick J. McDonnell in Los Angeles

Photo: Much of the nearly completed four-story parking garage at the Mexicali Civic Center lies in ruins after being shaken apart in the earthquake. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

UPDATE!

Two Killed, 100 Injured in Mexican Earthquake

By the CNN Wire Staff
April 5, 2010 12:04 a.m. EDT

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/04/04/mexico.earthquake/index.html?hpt=T1

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/one-death-reported-in-baja-quake.h...

L.A. NOW
Southern California -- this just in

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One death reported in Baja quake
April 4, 2010 | 8:14 pm

At least one man died and several homes burned in northern Mexico after the magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near the California-Mexico border Sunday.

A man was killed when his home collapsed just outside Mexicali, a civil protection chief told the Associated Press. A two-story parking garage also collapsed in the border town of 653,000.

Oscar Silas, a fire fighter at a station 10 miles west of Mexicali, said that at least six homes were destroyed by fires caused by the quake. The blazes started when household propane tanks were damaged and electricity lines were severed, he said.

He said the fire department had also received reports that several houses near the volcano Cerro Prieto -- about 19 miles from the quake’s epicenter -- sank into the ground as water rose up around them.

The quake knocked out power and broke water lines, making it difficult to respond to emergencies and assess the damage, Silas said.

“We don’t have any electricity, so communication…is very bad,” he said.

Minor damage was reported in some Southern California locales. Windows shattered at the San Diego Sports Arena. In El Centro, authorities reported some damage at a local hospital, mobile homes shaken off their foundations and chimneys collapsed.

The quake probably occurred on the Laguna Salada fault, which is about 40 to 50 miles long and straddles the California-Mexico border, seismologists said.

The Laguna Salada fault zone lies underneath desert, to the south of the San Andreas fault, seismologists said, roughly at the midpoint of the California-Baja California border.

“This is a pretty good-sized earthquake on the tectonic boundaries between the Pacific and North American plates,” said Frank Vernon, a research seismologist at UC San Diego. The earthquake was centered 37 miles south of Mexicali.

Both Vernon and Caltech seismologist Lucy Jones said geologists won’t make a final determination about which fault ruptured until scientists can inspect the earthquake zone.

The last time quake caused a surface rupture on the Laguna Salada fault was in 1892, when a magnitude 7 temblor hit. But the region where Sunday’s quake occurred has been seismically active for the past year, and there were several foreshocks that occurred, beginning last Wednesday, with magnitudes between 3 and 4, Jones said.

“This area is a very active area. There have been swarms at many times,” Jones said.

The earthquake hit at 3:40 p.m., 37 miles south of Mexicali and about 220 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Several major aftershocks have already hit the area, and triggered a magnitude 3 earthquake six miles off the coast of Malibu. Seismologists initially said the Malibu quake was magnitude 4.1 and later revised it to 3.0.

-- Alan Zarembo, Rong-Gong Lin II and Ruben Vives in Los Angeles; Richard Winton in Pasadena; and Tony Perry in San Diego

http://www.latimes.com/media/alternatethumbnails/photo/2010-04/53098118-04194912...

Ana Velazquez and her daughter Mariana and Angelica, sit on the grass after crossing the border into the U.S. after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the area April 4, 2010, in Calexico, Calif.

Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

http://llnw.image.cbslocal.com/0/2010/04/05/320x240/Mexico_quake_98248235.jpg

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/04/04/strong-earthquake-shakes-southern-californi...

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