Governor Gavin Newsom tours earthquake damaged areas, warns residents to be prepared

RIDGECREST, Calif. — Governor Gavin Newsom arrived in the region Saturday meeting with local and state officials while surveying the damage and hearing about the next plan of action.

Newsom spent Saturday touring the area and seeing first hand the damage in Ridgecrest, China Lake, and other surrounding communities. He said during the press conference that he spoke with President Donald Trump about federal assistance and the president assured the governor that the federal government will send whatever needed.

The earthquakes centered along a fault line that Dr. Lucy Jones with the United States Geological Survey is now extending through the high desert community towards the northwest. The earthquakes began with a 6.4 quake on Thursday.

And Newsom said that even though the community is still recovering, now is the time to prepare for another possible disaster.

"We all, I think, have a unique role and responsibility to prepare individually to be prepared for the next earthquake magnitude even greater than 7.1."

Seismologists say they measured over 3,000 aftershocks since Saturday.