153 km W of Big Lagoon, California

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake — a major event — struck near 153 km W of Big Lagoon, California on June 15, 2005, at a shallow depth of about 16 km. An earthquake this size would have been felt strongly across the surrounding region; shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they tend to cause the strongest shaking and the most damage. 2,901 people submitted "Did You Feel It?" shaking reports to the USGS. Casualties, damage and the recovery depend on local building standards, population and distance from the epicentre — the news coverage, references and photos below capture what happened on the ground.