The northeastern Nevada town Wells was rocked by a powerful earthquake
Thursday at 6:16 a.m. according to The Associated Press. The 6.0 magnitude
earthquake was felt from northern Idaho and Utah to Southern California.
Despite people’s shock no serious injuries were registered.
However, there were great damages in Nevada. According to The AP about 20 to 25
buildings were seriously affected. Damages include: tumbled brick facades,
broken windows and fallen signs. Moreover, a support beam fell on an unoccupied
car destroying it.
Gov. Jim Gibbons said late Thursday, according to The Los
Angeles Times, that "there are a number of buildings that look completely
destroyed. Bricks and mortar and foundations are just about all that is left of
them right now." Gibbons also said that most of the Nevada citizens were safe and that only
three of them have minor injuries.
The Governor also believes that their town was blessed by
Mother Nature, saying that if the earthquake stroke later, more terrible
consequences it would have had. "The sidewalks might have had more people on
them when these structures came down."
Tom Turk, a state spokesman at the scene said according to
The AP that almost all the 700 residential structures had some damages. The historical
district that has almost 1,600 residents experienced a similar natural disaster
almost 150 years ago.
Elko County Commissioner Mike Nannini was in the middle of
the 4-way Café & Casino in Wells when the earthquake started. County Commissioners
declared a sate emergency in wells and closed the Nevada town for everyone except its
residents according to the Nevada Highway Patrol.
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