On Friday, July 5, Southern California residents — specifically those in Kern County — were shaken by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake, per The Washington Post. The severity of the tremors caused multiple fires, power outages, road ruptures, water leaks, and gas leaks, and it left many residents in need of aid. If you weren't directly affected by the disaster but still want to help those who are suffering from the aftermath, here's how to help California earthquake victims.
California's latest series of earthquakes started on July 4, and it became increasingly worse in the following two days. According to ABC News 23, a local Southern California news station in Bakersfield, 6.4-magnitude earthquakes started shaking the Southern California area amidst Independence Day celebrations. According to Variety, a number of rides at Disneyland were closed due to the tremors, and nearby movie theaters were evacuated.
Eventually, the July 4 earthquakes passed through, but seismologists were predicting aftershocks to follow. According to The Desert Sun, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake rolled through the following day, on July 5. There are no reported deaths due to the earthquake as of publication, however, there are many residents left with non-life-threatening injuries, with many displaced from their homes. On the morning of July 5, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency in San Bernardino County, according to NBC 4 Los Angeles. A state of emergency was previously issued for Kern County on July 4. With those orders from the governor, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services "shall ensure adequate state staffing to expedite disaster response and recovery efforts," per the emergency proclamation. If you would like to help those who were affected by the quakes, check out how you can make a difference, below.
Ridgecrest police are mainly worried about a lack of essential supplies such as water, according to a Facebook post from Ridgecrest Police Department. Kern County, specifically the town of Ridgecrest, was hit hard by Friday night's earthquake, with four structural fires breaking out, according to ABC 7 Los Angeles. If you're in the area, you can bring donations of boxed or wrapped water to the Ridgecrest Police Department, located at 100 W. California Ave., Ridgecrest, California.
According to ABC News 23, the local Kern County Red Cross branch isn't asking for in-person donations at this time, since it's hard to process donations at the emergency center. For anyone who would still like to help out, the Red Cross is accepting monetary donations on their website, and they always welcome volunteers.
As with every natural disaster, there is a need in the immediate aftermath for all different kinds of donations. If you're in Kern County, you can check with local homeless shelters, animal shelters, and any nonprofits in need of supplies following the earthquakes.
Southern California was clearly hit hard by its most recent earthquakes, so it's important to know all the ways you can help out. There are a number of ways to provide the victims of the natural disaster with aid even if you aren't on the West Coast, from sending water and monetary donations to volunteering to help those who were displaced from their homes. As the recovery begins, we're sending best regards to those affected by the earthquake.
