Trona After the Earthquake: Exploring the Damage

Back in January (2019) I put up a video in which I took you on a tour of Trona where I was staying with friends who have lived there many years. While the town's economy has suffered a downturn over the years, it was still an interesting place and viewers seemed to agree as it had a few hundred views, which was pretty good for me, especially back then.
Then, on Independence Day, the area was hit by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake and the next morning, by a 5.4 and that evening, a 7.1 quake. As a comparison, the 1989 Loma Prieta (San Francisco) quake was a 6.9 and the 1994 Northridge shaker was a 6.7.
Trona and its neighbors to the west, Ridgecrest and the China Lake Naval Weapons Test Facility, were hard hit.
Our friends in both communities were fortunate as damage was limited mostly to the contents of their homes. A few cracked driveways and stucco pieces were the only visible items.
I wanted to get over there and do this video as soon as possible but I just couldn't work it out. My retirement gave me the first opportunity to go. I didn't know what to expect and visited our friends before shooting the video. They told me most of the damage was not plainly visible. There were no flattened buildings or open crevasses on the desert floor but many buildings around town and parts of the Searles Valley Minerals plant were damaged, some beyond repair.
The Trona Railway also suffered significant damage in a few places but was ready to roll (at restricted speed) when the plant began working again.
So, armed with a working knowledge of what to look for, I ventured out through Trona to shoot anything I could find, and I found a lot!
So, join me for another tour of Trona, post quake.
Follow this link to my original tour of Trona
   • Touring Trona, California