Tonopah residents react to major quake

Tonopah residents react to major quake. Jeremy Chen reports.

EARTHQUAKE.THE -6- POINT -5- MAGNITUDEEARTHQUAKE LEAVING A CRACK INTHE ROAD...BUT CREWS QUICKLY FIXED IT.THE QUAKE WAS FELT ALL THE WAYTO PARTS OF LAS VEGAS.IT ORIGINATED NEARTONOPAH.THAT'S ABOUT .,2- HUNDREDMILES.... NORTH OF LAS VEGAS.THE TOWN IS KNOWN FOR ITS CLOWNMOTEL...WHICH ALSO DIDN'T HAVEANY DAMAGE.WE SENT 13 ACTION NEWS REPORTERJEREMY CHEN TO THE SCENE...TOTAK TO LOCALS.LOOKLIVE IN WE'RE ABOUT 35MILES FROM WHERE THE QUAKE'SEPICENTER WAS IN THE NORTHWEST.IT'S NEVADA'S STRONGEST QUAKEIN MORE THAN 60 YEARS..BUT THE PEOPLE HERE IN TONOPAHTELL ME THE QUAKE'S BARK WASWORSE THAN ITS BITE.PKG IT'S BUSINESS AS USUAL INDOWNTOWN TONOPAH.THE LOCAL BREWERY SERVING FOODAND DRINKS- WITH A NEWCONVERSATION STARTER- FEELING ASTRONG EARTHQUAKE.'IT WAS AS IF SOMEONE WASPUSHING ON THE BED REALLY HARDJUST TRYING TO WAKE YOU UP.'PAUL VALENZUELA IS A MANAGER ATTONOPAH BREWING COMPANY.HE SAYS HE FOUND NO DAMAGE ATHIS HOME OR AT THE BREWERY-FALLING OFF THE SHELVES ORGLASSES BREAKING OR ANYTHINGLIKE THAT.'

INSTEAD-THERE WASA FLURRY OF PHONE CALLS FROMFAMILY AND FRIENDS.'THERE WERE PHONE CALLSIMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS ASKINGIF PEOPLE WE'RE OKAY OR 'DIDYOU FEEL THAT?'

AT VANWOODVARIETY STORE-OWNER VANESSADEJOODE ((DA-JOE-DI)) WASSUSRPISED TO SEE HER SHOPRELATIVELY INTACT.VANESSA DEJOODE, VANWOODVARIETY STORE 'ALL I NOTICEDWERE MY MAGNETS THAT TUMBLEDOUT OF THE FIXTURE AND ONTO THEFLOOR.OTHER THAT, THERE WASN'TANYTHING THAT FELL OVER.'

THESAME COULD BE SAID AT THETONOPAH LIQUOR COMPANY- WHERETHE BASE OF THE BUILDINGREMAINED STABLE- DESPITE BEINGMORE THAN 100 YEARS OLD.NO BOTTLES OF LIQUOR TUMBLED.THERE WAS DAMAGE HOWEVER ON THEROADS.N-DOT CLOSING A PART OF US-95NEAR ESMERELDA-- SAYING THEREWERE CRACKED AREAS WITH A MINORLIFT.IT SAYS AS A TEMPORARY FIX- THECRACKED AREAS WILL BE SHAVED TOMINIMIZE ROADWAY SURFACE BUMPSUNTIL A FULL REPAIR CAN BESCHEDULED IN THE FUTURE.DEJOODE 'ACTUALLY, PRETTYAMAZING, BECAUSE SEEING THESTRUCTURAL DAMAGE, HAVING THEEFFECT FROM AN EARTHQUAKE CLOSEBY.'

FOR VALENZUELA-THE QUAKEHASN'T CHANGED THE TOWN.'WE'RE STILL BUSY AND PEOPLEARE STILL COMING IN TO EAT, ANDI DON'T THINK IT'S SHAKENANYBODY.'

LOOKLIVE OUT NYECOUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THEIRPRELIMINARY FINDING FOUND NOMAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TOBUILDINGS IN TONOPAH- JUST SOMEMINOR CLEANUP WITH BROKEN GLASSAND SOME FALLEN ITEMS.THEY DO WARN, HOWEVER SOMEGOING IN DEPTH....ON THE STORY.THIS MORNING'S QUAKE.....SERVES.....AS A REMINDER....THAT