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California Towns Survey Quake Damage as Shocks Persist

Associated Press

   Communities in the Mojave Desert tallied damage and made emergency
   repairs to cracked roads and broken pipes Friday as aftershocks from
   Southern California's largest earthquake in 20 years kept rumbling.
   The small town of Ridgecrest, close to the epicenter, assessed damage
   after several fires and multiple injuries that were blamed on the
   magnitude 6.4 quake. A shelter drew 28 people overnight, but not all of
   them slept inside amid the shaking.
   "Some people slept outside in tents because they were so nervous,"
   saidMariumMohiuddin of the American Red Cross.
   Damage appeared limited to desert areas, although the quake was felt
   widely, including in the Los Angeles region 150 miles (240 kilometers)
   away. The largest aftershock thus far -- magnitude 5.4 -- was also felt
   in L.A. before dawn Friday.
   Hospital closed

   Ridgecrest Regional Hospital remained closed as state inspectors
   assessed it, spokeswoman Jayde Glenn said. The hospital's own review
   found no structural damage, but there were cracks in walls, broken
   water pipes and water damage.
   The hospital was prepared to help women in labor and to give triage
   care to emergency patients,Fifteenpatients were evacuated to other
   hospitals after the quake, Glenn said.

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