 Hello everyone, I'm Sean Boyd, public information officer with Cal OES here in Ridgecrest. Well Cal OES as well as a multitude of other agencies are working feverishly here in Ridgecrest and in Trona to get life back to normal as soon as possible. A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake has hit Southern California. July 4th kicked off with a bang in Ridgecrest, California as the first of two major earthquakes hit. A 6.4 then a 5.4. They turned out to be four shocks to the third which struck the next day with a 7.1 magnitude rocker. Type 1 engine company strike teams that were deployed into Ridgecrest. The state operation center in Sacramento activated at its highest level, bringing in well-trained and experienced emergency managers to help coordinate the response. Initial damage was extensive, but it could have been worse. There were no fatalities or major injuries. Many homes were knocked off their foundations. You can see how far this one dropped. The door is about a foot below the deck. Both quakes took their toll on the fellowship hall for our savior's Lutheran church. City engineers and code enforcement inspected the damage to the structural supports and deemed it unsafe. Hopefully it's going to be something that we can repair. It might be cause prohibitive, which would be really sad. And Highway 178, the main route between Ridgecrest and the town of Trona. The highway was buckled during the recent earthquakes here, the 6.4 as well as the 7.1. The section behind me had shifted completely over to the left. There were about four or five locations, three behind me and two more further down on the highway. Caltrans and contractors made quick repairs of the damage, reopening all lanes. In Trona, water systems were knocked out by community emergency response teams or CERT, along with the Guard and many volunteers, set up a station where residents could pick up cases of bottled water. They also brought in 5,000 gallons of potable water where folks could fill their own large containers. Back in Ridgecrest, engineers inspect the hospital from top to bottom for damage, both large and then not so noticeable. It's performed very well. There's been some minor mechanical damage. It's created water leak and water damage, but all in all, it seems to be going to be fine. A town hall on Saturday brought everyone together. Nearly a thousand people packed the Kerr McGee Center, and the media was there en masse to get the word out. This has been, I know, a difficult time for each and every one of you. Open communication, community resources, and knowing that local, state and federal help is there till the end. I think there was some relief at the end of the meetings, like, okay, well, they're not just leaving us. All these people came. Now they're just going to leave us and we're going to be forgotten about. So if you'd like more information on the efforts to bring life back to normal here and in Trona, be sure to follow all of the social media platforms for both Cal OES, Kern County, Ridgecrest, as well as San Bernardino County. They'll be updating all of the efforts, and with all of the information you need to know, that could help you return your life back to normal. In Ridgecrest, I'm Sean Boyd for Cal OES News.