A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck north of Yerington late Wednesday morning.
The Nevada Seismological Laboratory (NSL) says the 10:33 a.m. quake was located about 13 miles southwest of Fallon, 20 miles north of Yerington at a depth of 4.6 miles. Hundreds of earthquakes have shaken communities in northwestern Nevada since April 13, when a magnitude 5.68 quake struck the same fault line near Lahontan Reservoir. Eighty-three of these have had magnitudes greater than 2.5.
“This earthquake sequence is on a fault we didn’t know about before it started, crossing the Dead Camel Mountains,” Christie Rowe, director of the NSL, said. “We’ve had reports of minor damage in Fallon and at Fort Churchill to some of the historic buildings.”
The NSL has recorded 371 earthquakes along the fault in the past 10 days and has deployed aftershock kits to more accurately measure seismic activity in the region. The lab will continue to closely monitor seismic activity in the region, and live earthquake monitoring is featured on the NSL website.
The best thing to do in the event of an earthquake is to get underneath a heavy table or desk. You want to protect yourself from possible falling objects. A doorway can work as well but be aware that shaking can cause the door to swing back and hit you.
