A magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked southern California Friday night, sending tremors that could be felt in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and nearly 400 miles north in Sacramento. The quake caused fires, power outages and collapsed buildings, officials said.
The powerful quake struck around 8:20 p.m. local time and was centered near Ridgecrest, Calif., a community of 29,000 people on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada where a 6.4 temblor had hit Thursday morning. The latest quake lasted about 30 seconds and was the strongest in Southern California in 20 years. A series of aftershocks followed.
Related Coverage
AllSides Picks
Headline Roundup
Democrats Win House and Senate
November 3rd, 2026
Headline Roundup
Record Early Voter Turnout in 2026 Midterms: Which Party Stands to Benefit?
November 3rd, 2026
Recommended Reading
The Election is over. What comes next?
AllSides Staff
November 4th, 2026
Recommended Reading
Villain or Hero? How the Left and Right Covered the Lone Holdout Juror in the Lindsay Clancy Trial
Jamie Krstev
November 3rd, 2026