A sprawling military base in the Southern California desert remains closed to non-essential personnel as damage assessments continue following last week’s powerful earthquakes.
Spokeswoman Margo Allen said Tuesday that teams have so far surveyed just 10% of the 1,200 facilities at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. It’s unclear when personnel and their families will be able to return.
Two strong quakes – a 6.4 and a 7.1 – struck Thursday and Friday near Ridgecrest, just outside the 1.2-million-acre base in the Mojave Desert.
Water and gas services have been restored, but engineers are making sure buildings are safe to enter. Allen says the shaking cracked walls in a chapel and school and brought down commissary shelves.
She says one person suffered a minor foot injury.
Some personnel were evacuated to the naval base in Ventura County.
