Dive Brief:
- Emanating from Ridgecrest, California, Thursday's 6.4 magnitude earthquake and Friday's 7.1 magnitude earthquake caused buckling and cracking of important roadways in the state. "Critical Roadways, including lifeline routes, are severely impacted," wrote California Governor Gavin Newsom in a letter to President Trump Saturday requesting federal assistance with recovery.
- All roads around the site, including State Route 178, a main artery for the region, reopened Saturday afternoon with temporary repairs, according to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). SR-178 closed in both directions days earlier after a rockslide. Permanent repairs will be completed by the end of the week. Caltrans ruled all bridges in the affected area safe.
- The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) expects more, smaller aftershock quakes this week. USGS valued the damage at $1 billion. Caltrans allocated $3.1 million for SR-178 repairs alone.
Dive Insight:
The epicenter of these two strong quakes (the strongest in 20 years by some accounts) was not in one of California's more densely populated areas, which is why the recovery has been relatively swift despite the quakes' strength. Still, more quakes are expected this week throughout Southern California, which could further impact supply lines.
According to USGS, there is a 99% chance of 79 to 190 additional magnitude 3 quakes this week. The probability of stronger quakes is significantly lower (1% chance of a magnitude 7 quake). Governor Newsom called the event a "wake-up call" for the state and the nation, according to the Associated Press.
The American Logistics Assistance Network (ALAN) is monitoring need in the area for logistics services.
We continue to monitor official info sources and are in contact with partners. We will share any requests for support at http://www.alanaid.org #earthquake #RidgecrestEarthquake
— ALANAid (@ALANaid) March 19, 2019
