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Crews Continue Work Overnight In Areas Hit Hardest By Massive 7.1-Magnitude Quake

NEAR RIDGECREST (CBSLA) — Power is back on at a Ridgecrest store hours after Friday evening's 7.1-magnitude earthquake violently shook the town for the second day in a row.

CHP Bakersfield Posted Photos Of Debris On SR 178
The photo posted to Twitter by CHP Bakersfield shows debris on State Road 178 following Friday evening's quake. (CHP Bakersfield)

Governor Gavin Newsom, for the second day in a row, declared a state of emergency — this time for San Bernardino County — as aftershocks continued.

Around 1:40 a.m., CBSLA reporter Nicole Comstock tweeted photos from an illuminated Albertsons grocery store on Norma Street in Ridgecrest. Friday's quake caused damage both inside and outside of the store as a video showed customers being escorted to safety by store employees.

Thursday's 6.4 quake is now considered a foreshock to Friday's event which spawned more than 1,400 smaller quakes — the largest registering at a magnitude of 5.0.

Since yesterday, there were more than 1,400 smaller quakes. The largest recorded about 5.0.

Dr. Lucy Jones, seismologist and earthquake expert, tried to calm fears while talking to reporters Friday saying there was "no reason" to think we wouldn't see more large earthquakes in the region following recent activity centered near Ridgecrest.

According to Jones, there is a 50% chance of an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 or higher in the coming days and a 10% chance the area will see an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher. She also said it is almost certain there will continue to be aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.0 or higher.

Throughout the night, road crews continued to work to clear rockfalls and repair cracks in roads in and around the site of the most recent quake, opening lanes as they could.

Just before 2 a.m., all lanes of State Road 178 were opened after crews worked to clear rocks and debris from the road.

RELATED: People Take To Social Media Posting Videos Of Earthquake, Aftermath

Urban search and rescue crews from the Los Angeles area were expected to start working in Kern and San Bernardino counties overnight, according to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti who reported there was no catastrophic damage in the city.

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