Wasco residents react after 4.9 earthquake hits town

WASCO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck Kern County today. It is the second earthquake in a week to hit Central California.

Families told me they've felt smaller tremors before in their lives but nothing prepared them for Tuesday afternoon's big scare.

Hours after a 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck Wasco Luis Mendez is still reliving the moment. "We were like, 'okay, well, that wasn't normal'-- he saw the tires shaking and I was like, 'we gotta get outta here'."

The shop's surveillance video caught it all. Mendez and his coworkers were sitting inside GH Tire Shop. A little after 4:00 p.m. there was a jolt and all three men frantically run outside. "We thought it was a train or some accident-- but it wasn't the train, we just had a train pass by, but no, it was an earthquake."

Across the street, neighbors thought a car hit a building. Anita Penteria said she started praying. "The sofa was rocking back and forth-- I kept calling God-- that thing was really really shaking the room."

The tremors shook up everyone around town. Some literally from their sleep, others off their feet. "We felt the shake, I woke up, my little brother in the orange almost fell off the bed. We ran outside," said Danny Adame who felt the earthquake.

"We were playing and it just happened, everyone stopped playing, everyone got on the ground. It was crazy," said Jesus Cabrera, 8th grader.

No injuries or major damage have been reported. Families said in a town where little happens this was nothing they expected on their radar. "This one felt like something was going to happen, something bad was going to happen," said Mendez.

Something bad never did happen and neighbors said they're thankful this little jolt was all they got.

Many families in Fresno also reported feeling the earthquake, similar to last week. That 4.8 magnitude earthquake happened in Big Pine.