Deadly 7.2 Magnutude Earthquake in Mexicali

He said homes in his trailer park were seriously damaged, including one that was knocked off its foundation

The Fire Department responded to several calls to transport sick and elderly people to hospitals because of power outages and gas problems. A senior living center built in the early 1900s was evacuated and the people were moved to a shelter by the American Red Cross.

Lights shattered, ceiling tiles fell and shelves collapsed at a Subway sandwich restaurant in Calexico, said manager Rosie Arellano.

“Everything is shut down, the whole town,” Arellano said. “All the stop lights and the street lights are out. We have no power.”

Strong shaking was reported across much of Southern California. The earthquake rattled buildings on the west side of Los Angeles and in the San Fernando Valley, interrupting Easter dinners. Some stalled elevators were reported, water sloshed out of swimming pools and wine jiggled in glasses.

More than 100 miles west of the epicenter, San Diegos Sheraton Hotel and Marina was briefly evacuated after minor cracks were discovered in the floors, said Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque. All guests were allowed to return.

Susan Warmbier was putting away her groceries in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista when her husband asked, “Is the house moving?”

“We turned and we looked at the house, and it was actually moving. You could see it slightly moving left to right,” she said.

Elsewhere in San Diego, there were reports of shattered windows, broken pipes and water main breaks in private buildings, but no reports of injuries, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque said. Coronado Bridge over San Diego Bay was briefly closed by the California Highway Patrol as a precaution.

Across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, the quake caused buildings to sway and knocked out power in some areas. Families celebrating Easter ran out of their homes, with children screaming and crying.

No tsunami warning was issued, but hundreds of people on Tijuana’s crowded beach feared the worst and fled when they felt the ground shake, said Capt. Juan Manuel Hernandez, the city fire department’s chief of aquatic rescue. The beach filled up again within an hour.

The main quake was initially reported as magnitude-6.9 and was centered about 38 miles southeast of Mexicali. The updated magnitude was still an estimate, but if it holds it would be California’s largest temblor since the 7.3-magnitude Landers quake hit in 1992, Jones said.