California

Boulders falling, tires wiggling: Here’s what one man saw during California earthquake

Brett Durrant was traveling along Highway 395 on a road trip Thursday afternoon when he realized he was in the midst of an earthquake.

Dust rising from nearby rockslides were an indication. So was what Durrant was feeling, telling a passenger that his tire felt a “little funny” and it kind of “wiggled.”

Durrant was correct: a preliminary report from the U.S. Geological Survey indicated that the temblor was centered south of Topaz Lake, in Mono County not far from the California/Nevada state line. The earthquake was initially estimated at 5.9 magnitude, but was later upgraded to 6.0.

The estimated epicenter is about 110 miles northeast of Fresno.

Durrant was much closer. After feeling the earthquake, they soon saw its aftermath, weaving through big boulders strewn on the highway.

This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 8:24 PM with the headline "Boulders falling, tires wiggling: Here’s what one man saw during California earthquake."

Anthony Galaviz
The Fresno Bee
Anthony Galaviz writes about sports for The Fresno Bee. He covers the Las Vegas Raiders, high schools, boxing, MMA and junior colleges. He’s been with The Bee since 1997 and attended Fresno City College before graduating from Fresno State with a major in journalism and a minor in criminology. Support my work with a digital subscription
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