LAS VEGAS: A magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck a rural area of southern Nevada, shaking buildings more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) away and shutting down a busy Las Vegas interchange as road-tripping travelers were descending on Sin City for Memorial Day weekend.
The US Geological Survey revised an earlier report that pinned the magnitude of the earthquake at 5.4.
The temblor hit at 11:47 a.m. about 24 miles (38 kilometers) southwest of the small town of Caliente, and most of Southern Nevada felt it, along with parts of Utah including St. George and Cedar City, the USGS said. People took to social media to report feeling the quake, but those already on the Las Vegas Strip appeared to take any shaking in stride, without any interruption to the gambling destination’s usual fun.
Caesars Entertainment Corp.’s 550-foot (167-meter)-tall High Roller observation wheel was still taking riders on a slow spin after officials said inspections revealed everything had gone according to the ride’s earthquake plan.
There were no immediate reports of damage or disruptions at any of the casino-hotels, but the Nevada Highway Patrol reported damage to one of the state’s busiest highway ramps, near downtown Las Vegas. The ramp from southbound US 95 to Interstate 15, part of the so-called Spaghetti Bowl interchange, was shut down while crews examined a bridge joint that appeared to shift. The ramp reopened shortly before 5 p.m. Friday after engineers determined it remained structurally sound.
“The temblor simply dislodged the protective rubber encasing the bridge seam, making it look much worse than it was in reality,” Nevada Department of Transportation engineer Mary Martini said.
Earthquake hits Nevada
