No damage reported from magnitude 5 quake west of Tonopah

Las Vegas Review-Journal

4 years ago

Closeup of a seismograph machine. (Thinkstock)

Road separation is evident on U.S. Highway 95 near Coaldale in western Nevada after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Friday, May 15, 2020. (Esmeralda County Sheriff’s Office)

Cracks on U.S. 95 west of Tonopah caused by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Friday, May 15, 2020. (NDOT photo)

The Nevada Department of Transportation has closed a half-mile section of U.S. Highway 95 west of Tonopah after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake caused minor pavement damage to the roadway on Friday, May 15, 2020. A 5.0 aftershock was recorded on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, according to the U.S. Geological Service. (Nevada Department of Transportation)

The U.S. Geological Survey reported another earthquake near Tonopah at 5:36 a.m. Wednesday.

The magnitude 5 quake’s epicenter was 29 miles west of Tonopah. There were no reports of damage in the area.

The Tonopah area was struck by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake Friday, causing damage in Nye and Esmeralda counties. A split in U.S. Highway 95 in Esmeralda County prompted a temporary closure of the roadway.

The U.S. Geological Survey has listed a series of aftershocks in the area. They include a 4.7 quake Sunday and a 4.6 quake Saturday.

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.