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Earthquake Strikes California. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired July 04, 2019 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:02]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Mayor Breeden, this may be one of the five fires you were describing. It is absolutely raging. You see fire on the scene.

PEGGY BREEDEN, MAYOR OF RIDGECREST, CALIFORNIA: Yes.

BALDWIN: Can you just give us an update? You said that you believe there have been five fires, but you're not entirely sure if they're -- if they're under control.

(CROSSTALK)

BREEDEN: I do not know that officially.

As I look around me, I can see smoke, but I cannot see -- I cannot see -- other than one, and that's still black smoke. There's others that I'm sure, but I only know of the report.

BALDWIN: And you mentioned -- as we stay on these images, you mentioned checking in with -- was it an assisted living facility? Do they have power? I mean, is power totally out where you are?

BREEDEN: In some places, it's out. In others, it isn't.

BALDWIN: OK, OK.

Ridgecrest, California, Mayor Peggy Breeden, you have many more people to talk to on the phone. Thank you so much for jumping on with me. And my best to you.

(CROSSTALK)

BREEDEN: Thank you. All right. Thank you.

BALDWIN: Dorothy -- thank you, thank you.

Dorothea Smith is with me now on the phone. She felt the earthquake in, Dorothea, am I saying this correctly, Trona, Trona, California?

(CROSSTALK)

DOROTHEA SMITH, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: Yes. Yes.

BALDWIN: Trona, California, 20 miles from Ridgecrest. What did you feel?

SMITH: Oh, wow.

It was bad shaking, really bad shaking, pictures coming off the wall, TVs breaking, cars shaking, wobbling, hot water heaters exploding, all kinds of things. My whole washer and dryer scooted from the wall and came loose. It was bad.

BALDWIN: Wow.

Are you home alone? Do you have people with you?

SMITH: Oh, yes. Everybody came, yes.

BALDWIN: OK, good.

SMITH: I have family here in Trona, and they all came to my house.

BALDWIN: OK, good. Maybe that's the upside of this happening on a holiday. Hopefully, folks had family and friends around them.

SMITH: Right.

BALDWIN: It's also my understanding -- we have been covering some of these rockslides and boulders shaking loose.

Have you -- it's my understanding you saw some of that?

SMITH: Well, I didn't see it.

We were on our -- my niece was on her way -- her co-worker, rather, I'm sorry, was on her way out of Trona, and a boulder fell. And a couple of people that was on their way into Trona said that a boulder almost hit their car from the mountain.

Yes, two -- I know two big boulders came down and broke the concrete -- I mean the asphalt. So there's no way in or out of Trona right now. We're, like, stuck.

BALDWIN: You're stuck. You're stuck.

SMITH: Yes.

BALDWIN: And aftershocks, have you felt them?

SMITH: Oh, they're coming. They're coming. they're coming strong.

BALDWIN: Are you from Southern California? Is this the kind of thing you have felt before? How would you rate among other earthquakes if you have felt anything else?

SMITH: Well, a while back, there was a really big one. I was living in L.A. There was a really big one then. I think this one was worse than that one.

BALDWIN: You think this one was worse?

SMITH: There's the real big one that was in L.A.

BALDWIN: Yes. Yes.

SMITH: I can't remember the year or anything, but this one was worse, yes, was far worse.

BALDWIN: I think a lot of people are talking about Northridge. That was in 1994, I believe.

Dorothea, thank you so much. I'm going to let you be with your family there in Trona, California.

Tom Sater, just talking to all these various voices, folks who live in this part of it country, at least, hopefully, many of them are not alone or with friends and family, not having to work on this on this holiday. But, I mean, between these fires you're seeing on the screen and boulders in the middle of highways and roads and people stuck in towns, this is incredibly devastating.

TOM SATER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is not the Independence Day Ridgecrest was hoping for and all the families, the firefighters, first responders, law enforcement.

Just the inspection process alone for all the homes and businesses could take a week or more, I mean, 30,000 residents in Ridgecrest.

Now, we're working to confirm a couple minor details. We received an e-mail from the USGS that instead of a five-mile depth, they may cut it in half to two-and-a-half. I know that doesn't sound like a lot. It's already shallow at five. But to cut that to two-and-a-half miles, that would create more energy outward in the region.

The other factor that we're working on, they may move the epicenter to only six miles from Ridgecrest. Now, we went through the shake map again, and I want to show you a larger picture of all the aftershocks that are occurring, but, again, right around 30,000 people.

I mean, you have got 42,000 felt very strong shaking. That is the category -- there are higher categories, but that's as high as this quake is going. So no one felt severe, violent or extreme, thank goodness; 21 million felt light shaking. That's L.A.

[15:05:03]

And then you got another two million that felt what we weak shake. That would have been maybe around Las Vegas.

But to go into this -- and, again, I want to stress on this because this is what -- this is what we want to see. This is a pager, we call it. You want to see green when you're talking about estimated fatalities, and they're saying a good 65 percent chance no one died or maybe up to one fatality.

Let's hope that's not the case. But there's a 30 percent chance that maybe one to 10. Again, you don't want to think about that. But, again, when there's calls of 911 and everyone is running to Ridgecrest, and every vehicle you can think and air support, you're wondering, is anybody trapped?

It doesn't take much for a chandelier to fall or a wall to give in; 35 percent chance that economic losses could be $10 million to $100 million. That would be the Ridgecrest area.

Again, now, the aftershocks, this is what I want to get into. We could still see a 5.4. That's typically -- when you have a 6.4, you can have an aftershock that's 5.4 or greater. We haven't had that one yet. But let me show you this.

And let's get into this map, because, Brooke, this will blow your mind here. This is all Southern California, and it's hard to see. If we can take this full, you might be able to see it better. There are hundreds of little yellow dots. These are all quakes of different sizes, typically small, from the last week.

Now, we're going to get in closer. When you see orange, this is the last 24 hours. Bakersfield. We're getting closer, much closer here. You're going to see orange in the last 24 hours.

Red, that's in the last hour, Brooke. That's in the last 60 Minutes., one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, I mean, you have got almost 42 aftershocks in the last 60 minutes.

BALDWIN: Wow.

SATER: Again, and orange is the last 24. So this has been an active area now. And I think the computer models are really starting to grab onto it.

Here is Ridgecrest, where the 30,000 live, and then you get closer to Death Valley National Park. Now, yes, it's higher terrain, and that can absorb some of this energy. But when you're feeling that, there's no doubt that there could be some major damage.

And we're seeing it, as you mentioned, in this region. As Dr. Lucy Jones mentioned, when it comes to these aftershocks, the last time, 1999, when we had something that was 6.0 or greater, I mean, the aftershocks lasted six months. That's not unusual.

We see this around the world quite a bit. So this is going to be really testing the nerves of everybody in the entire region, not just in Ridgecrest. But, again, our thoughts and prayers with everyone there and all the families of law enforcement, firefighters are giving up their day today to just do what they do.

Let's just hope that no one is injured and, more importantly, no fatalities with this.

BALDWIN: So, hang on. OK, forgive me. I'm talking to the control room. Tom, thank you very much.

Suzanne? Suzanne? What's Suzanne's last name? Holwell.

Suzanne Holwell, you're live on CNN.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Say it again?

SUZANNE COLWELL, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: Colwell. C-O-L-W-E-L-L.

BALDWIN: Thank you, ma'am. This is live television. I appreciate it.

How are you doing? You are OK.

COLWELL: I'm good. How are you?

(LAUGHTER)

BALDWIN: I'm much better here in New York City than a lot of you all are, I know, in Southern California. Oh, my goodness.

COLWELL: Oh, well...

BALDWIN: Tell me, are you in Ridgecrest?

COLWELL: I live in Ridgecrest, but I work in Inyokern. And that's where I'm at right now. I was in this Ridgecrest when it happened at home.

BALDWIN: You were?

COLWELL: Getting ready to get ready for work. And it was very violent. It was a violent shake.

BALDWIN: It was a violent shake.

COLWELL: It was very violent.

BALDWIN: Describe it more.

(CROSSTALK)

COLWELL: ... off the shelves. My roommate's mother-in-law lives a couple houses down from us. I ran to her house. She had stuff all over the floor that threw off shells, broken glass. Her backyard, the pool went everywhere.

So, her backyard is kind of flooded. There is a fire on California Street and Ridgecrest. And it's a home, because there's no businesses right in that area.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Yes, well, we're looking at pictures.

(CROSSTALK) BALDWIN: No, I'm just -- let me interject.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Oh. We were looking at pictures of a home in Ridgecrest. But a lot of people are comparing it to Northridge in 1994.

You were saying it was worse?

COLWELL: More violent.

BALDWIN: More violent.

COLWELL: Yes, it just shook and shook. It seemed like it was never going to quit. It shook, it seemed like forever, but I know it was only probably 30 seconds, if not that.

BALDWIN: I was just talking to the mayor of Ridgecrest. And as she was talking to me, she had to stop because she was feeling an aftershock, which seemed to go on for a second.

COLWELL: Right.

BALDWIN: And listening our own meteorologist, there have been dozens of aftershocks. How many of you felt?

COLWELL: I felt -- the only one I felt was the 6.4.

[15:10:00]

But my roommate had felt the one that was a few minutes before that. And she came and told me that we just had an earthquake.

And I said, and look what I'm watching. I'm watching the show that's like an earthquake. It's called "Volcano." And it was scary, because all that stuff started shaking all around me.

BALDWIN: Oh, my goodness, Suzanne.

COLWELL: There are some people that have no electricity.

BALDWIN: Did you? Or...

COLWELL: Oh, we have electricity.

I work out at Five Fingers Pub. And so I just grabbed my clothes for work and came out here in my pajamas to make sure I had a job to come to.

BALDWIN: That's -- can we just go back to that for a second? I don't know if your boss is watching me.

COLWELL: Sure.

BALDWIN: But you're telling me that you were home, you felt a 6.4 earthquake, and then you went to work? COLWELL: I came running out to work as soon as I made sure my

roommate's mother was OK and my neighbors were OK.

BALDWIN: Oh, my goodness.

COLWELL: And I came out to work to make sure I had a job.

BALDWIN: Suzanne, you deserve a raise.

COLWELL: Oh, thank you.

(LAUGHTER)

COLWELL: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Tell me -- tell me -- so, are you at the pub right now?

COLWELL: Yes.

BALDWIN: And is anyone actually in it with you, or are you alone?

COLWELL: Yes, actually. A friend mine, he came over here to make sure that I didn't need any help cleaning a mess up. But our doors are open today.

BALDWIN: Is there damage where you are that you -- or even in your drive from home to work, did you see damage?

COLWELL: Well, I did see the one fire. Emergency personnel had been going past my work. So there's other things going on.

I just don't know what. I know that there's people that's further away from town itself that have no electricity.

BALDWIN: Yes, that's right.

COLWELL: Because I made some phone calls on my way to work here.

And then I know of one person that does not have electricity in Ridgecrest, and he has health issues. So he had to grab his oxygen tank that he didn't have to use electricity for to have it.

And then the one fire in Ridgecrest that I know of. I was told that the Chevron here in Inyokern, a bunch of the stuff went flying off the shelf. So I would imagine the hardware store is even worse, because they have all kinds of stuff on their shelves.

BALDWIN: Yes. No, we're getting all kinds of reports of that sort of -- because it was so, as your word, violent, rolling, shaking.

Suzanne, I'm going to let you go. Hope you get that raise. Showed up at work after feeling an earthquake.

(LAUGHTER)

COLWELL: Thank you. BALDWIN: Suzanne, thank you so much.

April Rodriguez is on the phone with me, someone who felt the earthquake from Trona, California.

April, how are you doing? And what did it feel like?

APRIL RODRIGUEZ, CALIFORNIA RESIDENT: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Can you hear me?

RODRIGUEZ: It was really scary. Yes, I can hear you. Can you hear me?

BALDWIN: Yes. Yes, ma'am. So, it was really scary?

RODRIGUEZ: It was really scary.

It started at first -- we had a little one at first. And then I thought that was going to be the big one. And then it started -- the big one started. And I thought, OK, it's going to stop in a minute, and then it didn't stop.

And so were just like panicked trying to get out of the house, because everything is falling off the wall, out of the cabinet, off the shelves, off the walls, pictures, knickknacks. It's just like it was -- and then it was like they were flying like missiles off the shelves.

BALDWIN: Flying like missiles.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Go ahead. Go ahead.

RODRIGUEZ: We were hysterical.

I have a newborn grandson. He's two months -- two weeks old, only.

BALDWIN: Oh. Oh.

RODRIGUEZ: And he lives across town. And I was hysterical because I couldn't get my son the phone. And it was just so scary.

BALDWIN: Of course you -- of course you were. Congratulations, grandma.

RODRIGUEZ: Oh, thank you.

BALDWIN: And is he OK? Did you get ahold of him?

RODRIGUEZ: He's OK. He's here. Yes, they're here with us now because the worry -- our town is -- it's really small.

And our main source of income is a giant chemical plant. And the worry always is any time something like this happens is that the plant could have a breach, and there would be chemicals in the air and an explosion or something.

BALDWIN: Oh, sure.

RODRIGUEZ: And so we're always -- we're just kind of nervous waiting to see if we hear the siren to evacuate.

BALDWIN: Yes, let's hope, hope not. Think positively.

RODRIGUEZ: Yes.

BALDWIN: We know there have been a number of fires not too far from you in Ridgecrest.

RODRIGUEZ: Yes.

BALDWIN: Just talking to the mayor there. Broken gas lines, that kind of thing.

(CROSSTALK)

RODRIGUEZ: We have had that in our neighborhood too.

BALDWIN: You have had fires or broken gas lines?

RODRIGUEZ: We had -- the neighbor down the street had a broken gas line. There's been broken water lines.

Someone's water heater fell off in the garage. And it's the San Marino County sheriff -- or sheriff and San Marino County Fire Department are doing a real good job patrolling to help people.

BALDWIN: I'm sure they are.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Do you have power? Do you have power?

RODRIGUEZ: No, we have no power. And it's probably going to be 120 here today.

BALDWIN: Oh.

RODRIGUEZ: So, that's a worry.

BALDWIN: Oh, my gosh, so many people, so many people without power, so warm.

RODRIGUEZ: Right.

BALDWIN: And dealing with these aftershocks and with a two-week-old grandbaby.

April, thank you so much for being on with me. I'm going to let you go. Our best to you.

[15:15:01] Let's continue on.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BALDWIN: Welcome to CNN here on the Fourth of July.

We are in the thick of things in this breaking news.

If you are just joining us, we have been following the news across Central and Southern California. A rolling 6.4-magnitude quake shook the area about 90 minutes ago. We have been talking to a number of eyewitnesses describing that initial massive shaking lasting 10 seconds.

It was centered near this town of Ridgecrest, California, which is east of Bakersfield and about 120 miles northeast of Los Angeles. But folks even in Las Vegas felt the rolling shaking.

The USGS, the U.S. Geological Survey, says this was the largest earthquake to rattle the Greater Los Angeles Basin since 1999. And we have been counting. There have been nearly 60 -- that is 6-0 -- aftershocks.

So far, there are no reports of injuries. We are starting to learn of some reports of damage close to the epicenter. You're looking there at this one example of this house fire in the Ridgecrest area. A number of people have been sharing their images -- and we're so grateful to you all for doing that -- of their homes or ceiling lights swaying, waves within their backyard pools.

And so grateful to everyone calling in, talking to me, and just letting us know what their various situations are and what this rolling shaking felt like.

Sara Sidner is now outside our bureau there in Los Angeles.

And, Sara, just for people who are just joining us, let's see -- what did it feel like when it hit you?

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, certainly, we felt it here.

Our building is about 15 floors tall. And we could feel a jolt, and then a shake. And it went on for quite some time. I think that is the one thing that we all remarked on. We also talked to folks that are on the ground floor as we're up three or four floors. And they said they actually felt the roll. They felt the jolt. And then they felt the floor roll.

And so that is exactly what you're hearing happened at the epicenter as well in Ridgecrest, where people, of course, felt it far stronger than we did here in Los Angeles.

But for longtime Angelenos, those that have lived here their whole lives, this is for a lot of people in the Hollywood area, for example, the strongest earthquake that they have felt. And part of that is because it went on for so long. Sometimes, you get these, it's a jolt, and then it stops, and you're not even sure if it was an earthquake.

This one was very clear and apparent. I can tell you that, looking out, some of the things that are on the walls started to move, but looking out onto the ground here, these -- these light poles were definitely swaying just slightly. But there is no damage that has been reported so far here in Los Angeles.

We are hearing that, in San Bernardino area, that there have been potentially rockslides there and that there are some cracks in some buildings there. But, again, we need to mention that we're about 150 or so miles away from where the epicenter was there in Ridgecrest.

And I think those in Ridgecrest are experiencing a number, at least 58 confirmed aftershocks so far. And I think, Brooke, to your point, every time you speak to someone, what do you hear? Oh, we're feeling another one.

They're coming within seconds of each other. This is natural. This is what happens after an event that is this large, a 6.4 earthquake hitting there, and the epicenter in and around in Ridgecrest. So this is what normally happens, is that you start feeling these aftershocks.

Now, the aftershocks are generally much smaller. We know that there was a foreshock, according to the renowned seismologist Lucy Jones. She said, look, there was a foreshock of about a 4.2 about a half-an- hour before they felt a larger earthquake, the 6.4-magnitude quake.

We will see more and more of these aftershocks coming. They could be up to a 5 or more or as little as a 1. You just -- you don't know what you're going to get. But, generally speaking, they will be enough for people to feel them. And it won't just be today. It will be today, it will be tomorrow, it will be the next day.

But they will lessen in the number of them that come rolling through there. And for the people who are there -- we have heard from the mayor, the mayor talking to you just now, talking about the fact that she was feeling one and that it felt pretty big.

But she also says, look, I am seeing there are five fires going on, there are broken gas lines. That can be the most dangerous thing in an earthquake like this, because, when those gas lines rupture, they often cause fires, and they can be very dangerous.

And if people smell gas, they need to let someone know, but they also need to go to safety, because there can be explosions as well from ruptured gas lines.

Also, if you are seeing this feeling this and it's scaring you, but there is no emergency, people are saying and the police department are saying, please don't call 911. There are actual emergencies happening, people potentially injured in this.

[15:20:10] And so they want to make sure those lines are open for those who are in distress. But, certainly, go check on your neighbors. Go check on the people. If you're OK, there may be someone next door that isn't OK.

And so that's very important. The mayor mentioning that as well. I can tell you that we're getting -- obviously, social media is blowing up with a lot of different things, people feeling this from Las Vegas to Los Angeles -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: All right, Sara Sidner, thank you so much. That was such an excellent note from the mayor of Ridgecrest.

If you're OK, that is wonderful. Go next door, check on your neighbor, make sure he or she is OK as well.

Jeremy Kern is now on the line with me. He's a public information officer for San Bernardino County Fire. He covers the Trona area. We have talked to a number of people from Trona, which is one of the hardest-hit spots.

So, Jeremy, thank you so much for jumping on with me.

And you tell me, what are your biggest challenges right now?

JEREMY KERN, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE: So, right now, our biggest challenge is going to be the isolated area.

This is one of outside, outlying areas of our service zone. So, at this point, our firefighters in the area are conducting damage assessment surveys within the region. They're out there in the streets checking for access issues, any damage to the roadways, any potential hazards as far as gas leaks or power line issues, or anything that would result from the actual earthquake itself, so damage to structures or major infrastructure.

(CROSSTALK)

KERN: We do have additional resources responding out there as well to assist with that.

BALDWIN: Can you describe some of the damage that's being reported in San Bernardino County?

KERN: so, at this point, we're getting reports of minor to moderate damage to the structures itself. That consists mainly of some cracks in stucco and drywall.

Our fire station out there actually has some of their oxygen tanks and -- or their cylinders detach from the wall that were secured, of course, broken dishes coming out this year, and computers falling off their desks.

We do have reports of some cracks up to four inches in the main highways or the road into the area, as well as some rockslides and larger boulders that have rolled into the area. We're working with the California Highway Patrol in evaluation of those major thoroughfares and entryways into that region.

BALDWIN: Let me ask you about that, because I was talking to a woman who called in whose neighbor had driven in, and she had recounted huge boulders coming off the sides of the roads and landing square in the middle of these major roadways.

And she described herself and her family in Trona as being stuck. I mean, what is the situation for folks who are in the area who want to -- what's the status of the roadways? Are they stuck?

KERN: So, at this point, the information I have received is that the major entries and exits out of the region are still intact and are passable.

BALDWIN: OK.

KERN: We just ask everyone to take that caution when they are traveling the roadways, because the integrity may be compromised as they drive or they have some rockslides in the area. So, they will need to travel slow and only do so when safe as they approach certain areas.

BALDWIN: Would you advise people to get on the roads? Or would you advise people to stay put?

KERN: So, at this point, if people are able to do so and their homes are intact, there's no immediate hazard, we recommend that everyone shelter in place and stay within their area.

Of course, as aftershocks continue to happen, that's a decision everyone's going to have to make on their own comfort level and safety. If there's any immediate hazards, we recommend that people immediately call 911. We can get resources to that area, and that being any major structural damage, smell of gas, any power line issues.

We will our firefighters come out. They can evaluate those hazards and get the appropriate resources, the personnel there to mitigate that.

BALDWIN: Last quick question. How about fires?

KERN: So, at this point, we don't have any reports of any fires directly related to the incident itself. All the major high tension lines are intact in the area.

We do have some -- several reports of smell of gas in the area over some structures. A lot of the areas out there and homes are off of propane and not natural gas. But, of course, people, if they do smell anything, they can secure their gas lines to their home, if they're able to.

Once they evaluated some of those homes, it sounds like it's more related to maybe the sewer lines or a break in the sewer system itself, their septic tanks. And that's some of the smell they're getting out there, so no immediate hazard and no injuries directly related to the earthquake itself that resulted in a transport, just a lot of bumps and bruises and minor traumatic injuries.

Of course, additional calls for service still happen, medical aids, people feeling short of breath or anxiety potentially related to the incident itself, but, at this point, no major report of injuries or transports.

BALDWIN: OK. Jeremy Kern, we're so grateful for all that you and your men and women do, running towards danger in instances like today, on a holiday, of all days.

Jeremy, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

Quick note, and then we're going to take a commercial break.

[15:25:01]

We have been told now President Donald Trump has been briefed on this earthquake. This is what we have for the press secretary: "The president has been briefed and will continue to monitor the situation."

I'm Brooke Baldwin. You're watching CNN, live breaking coverage of the 6.4 earthquake in Southern California.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We're back with the breaking news on the Fourth of July.

[15:30:00]