Small Earthquake Rattles Workers at Hoover Dam
A small earthquake rattled Boulder City on New Year’s morning, and workers at nearby Hoover Dam reported feeling the shock.
No damage was reported at the giant dam, according to Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Bob Walsh.
The quake, with a magnitude of 3.7, was centered four miles north of Boulder City, according to Martin Hellmann of the University of Nevada, Reno’s seismology laboratory. Boulder City is 20 miles southeast of Las Vegas.
Boulder City police were swamped with more than 200 phone calls, but said there were no reports of damage or injuries.
Police dispatcher Kathy Gutierrez said employees at the dam told her it was the first time they’d felt an earthquake there.
“Workers said it felt like a big truck rumbling across the dam, or a (generator) unit shutting down,” Walsh said.
The 59-year-old dam, which stands 726 feet high, provides power to areas of California, Nevada and Arizona.
“Crews did a complete visual inspection of the dam and found no damage,” Walsh said. He said the dam was built to withstand “a very strong earthquake, in the range of 8.0.”
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