4.8 earthquake strikes Nevada, felt in Las Vegas

A shallow magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck near Caliente, Nev. on Friday afternoon and was felt more than 100 miles away in Las Vegas.

The quake caused minor damage to a highway off-ramp and multiple people reported feeling the ground shake along the city’s famed Strip.

The temblor occurred at 11:47 a.m. at a depth of 3.7 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and quakes of magnitude 3.8 and 3.0 were reported in the minutes afterward.

There were no reports of damage or injuries near the epicenter, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department.

The Nevada Department of Transportation received reports of damage to U.S. 95 South near Las Vegas at 12:22 p.m., said Tony Illia, an agency spokesman.

The quake dislodged rubber casings on an exit ramp, prompting a shutdown of that portion of the highway, but repairs were expected to be completed on Friday evening. The damage was from normal wear-and-tear, and was slightly exacerbated by the temblor, the DOT said.

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FOR THE RECORD

May 22, 2:12 p.m.: An earlier version of this article stated that there were reports of damage on I-95 South. The damage was reported on U.S. 95 South.

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According to the USGS, the epicenter was 46 miles from Mesquite, Nev., 60 miles from St. George, Utah, and 63 miles from Washington, Utah.

In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.

Read more about Southern California earthquakes.

Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.