RENO, Nev. December 11, 2017 – The Nevada Seismological Laboratory has located a series of 32 very small earthquakes since Nov. 28, 2017 in the vicinity of North McCarran and US395. The largest event in the cluster to date, a magnitude 1.9, was felt in the north Reno area (Origin Time: Dec. 9, 2017; 02:02 PST; Latitude: 39.5537N; Longitude: 119.7858W; Depth: 4.5 miles).

There is a slight increase in the probability of a larger event during an ongoing sequence of earthquakes. Clusters of small earthquakes are typical of the seismic activity in the western Nevada region. The Nevada Seismological Laboratory continues to closely monitor this activity.

Updated information for activity associated with this earthquake is available at http://www.seismo.unr.edu/Earthquake.

Nevada and eastern California regions have a history of large, damaging earthquakes, and citizens should always consider earthquake preparedness. Residents are encouraged to practice aspects of emergency plans and to “secure your space,” which includes retrofitting buildings to reduce damage and securing things within buildings to prevent injury. For more information on how to prepare for an earthquake, go to www.shakeout.org/nevada.

As a public safety reminder, local and state agencies urge the public to be prepared in the event an emergency causes you to be self-reliant for three days without utilities and electricity, water service, access to a supermarket or local services, or maybe even without response from police, fire or rescue.

“When we feel these smaller earthquakes it’s nature’s way of telling us that Nevada, and Washoe County, is earthquake country,” Aaron Kenneston, Washoe County Emergency Manager, said. “If you live in the North Reno area, today would be an ideal day to walk through your house, or place of work, and do a hazard hunt. Secure bookshelves, water heaters, and items that can easily fall and hurt you. During an earthquake take immediate action to drop, take cover, and hold on. And after an earthquake check on your neighbor, know how to turn off your gas and water.”

The Nevada Division of Emergency Management/Homeland Security recommends preparing for such an event can start with four important steps:

1. Be informed about emergencies that could happen in your community, and identify sources of information in your community that will be helpful before, during and after an emergency

2. Make a plan for what to do in an emergency

3. Build an emergency supply kit

4. Get involved.

The Nevada Seismological Laboratory, a public service department in the College of Science at the University of Nevada, Reno, is a member of the USGS Advanced National Seismic System (http://www.anss.org) and operates a network of about 150 real-time seismograph stations throughout the region providing earthquake information to Nevada citizens, the USGS, and local and state officials.