Trona town hall planned as earthquake recovery efforts continue near Ridgecrest
Recovery efforts continued Tuesday, July 9, in the communities of Trona and Ridgecrest, shaken last week by two major earthquakes.
After Friday’s 7.1 temblor centered roughly 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest and preceded by Thursday’s 6.4 magnitude quake, both followed by thousands of aftershocks, the communities have been cleaning up.
Services have been coming back online as they’ve been restored. And work continues to get water flowing to Trona again, the community has been without running water since the first of the two quakes rattled the area.
No deaths or major injuries were reported, but some buildings, including homes, were damaged or destroyed, and roads in the area, including Highway 178. Repairs on the roadway were completed Tuesday, Caltrans said.
Trona town hall
A town hall meeting for residents of Trona and Windy Acres is been scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 10, at Trona High School, 83600 Trona Road.
Representatives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the County Fire Protection District, County Public Health, County Public Works, and other San Bernardino County agencies are expected to be there, as are State Sen. Shannon Grove, County Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman, First District Supervisor Robert Lovingood, Sheriff John McMahon and State Assemblyman Jay Obernolte.
Residents will have a chance to speak and ask questions.
Local Assistance Center
San Bernardino County will set up a Local Assistance Center Wednesday, July 10, at Trona High School. It will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until further notice, according to the county. The center will be staffed by several county departments along with insurance agencies, faith-based organizations and Southern California Edison. It’s designed to be a one-stop place for free assistance.
New cooling center
The Trona County Library opened as a cooling center Tuesday. Hours are 10 am. to 6 p.m. until Thursday, July 18. There will be a portable restroom outside the library, 82805 Mountain View St.
Additional services
Portable showers arrived at Trona High School on Tuesday, where bottled water has been handed out by volunteers and California National Guard soldiers. Medical services for residents will start there on Wednesday, and will be available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to San Bernardino County officials. Mental health services have already started.
Ridgecrest DMV
The Ridgecrest Department of Motor Vehicles reopened for business Tuesday, July 9, after being closed as seismic safety inspections took place.
Trona Post Office
The Trona Post Office is closed until further notice. While regular mail will be delivered, Trona residents who use post office boxes can pick up their mail at the Ridgecrest Post Office, 101 E. Coso Ave., according to the U.S. Postal Service. All other USPS services will also be available in Ridgecrest, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Post office box pickups will require a photo ID. Trona residents who can’t travel to the Ridgecrest Post Office can get a change of address for temporary moves, available online.
Shuttle bus
Free shuttle bus service from Trona High School, and possibly other points in the town, to the Red Cross shelter at the Kerr-McGee Center in Ridgecrest will continue. The scheduled pickup is at 10 a.m. in front of Trona High Schoo. The bus will leave the center at noon and return to the high school.
Damage assessments
When will we know the total extent of earthquake damage in San Bernardino and Kern counties? Not likely this week.
California Office of Emergency Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin their inspections later this week, Cal OES spokesman Robb Mayberry said Tuesday. Agencies for the two counties are conducting their own inspections, he said.
The #SBCoFD Damage Assessment team has red tagged two commercial buildings, The Old Guest House Museum and the Searles Domestic Water Company in #Trona due to continuous ground shifting from #earthquake activity that is affecting the structure. #TronaEQRecovery. pic.twitter.com/8WT6jAeMCg
— SB County Fire (@SBCOUNTYFIRE) July 9, 2019
There was no immediate word from either county Tuesday on how many buildings had been red-tagged — unsafe to occupy, or yellow-tagged — OK to occupy, with restrictions. San Bernardino County spokesman David Wert said Tuesday the numbers won’t be released until inspections are completed.
The U.S. Geological Survey said after the 7.1 temblor that the “economic damage” to the area was at least $1 billion dollars.