Las Vegas NowAftershocks Rattle Wells, Nevada After Strong Earthquake

Aftershocks Rattle Wells, Nevada After Strong Earthquake

The town of Wells, Nevada is closed to the public following a strong earthquake in northeast Nevada Thursday morning. Hundreds of homes were damaged and dozens of families are displaced. Part of the town's historic district was reduced to rubble. Many of the buildings are more than 100 years old.

The quake had a magnitude of 6.0. It was reported at 6:16 a.m. on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was centered in a sparsely populated area 11 miles southeast of Wells near the Nevada-Utah line about 420 miles from Las Vegas.

SLIDESHOW: 6.0 Earthquake Hits Wells

Elko County Undersheriff Rocky Gonzalez said damage was widespread, with people reporting cracked walls and foundations. At least one building collapsed, he said. There were reports of three injuries, all are minor.

"It was like a bomb went off," said Elko County Commissioner Mike Nannini, who was standing in the middle of the 4-Way Cafe & Casino when the quake began.

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The town is only open to local residents and identification is being checked. For people traveling in the area, gas stations are not open, including the Flying J station which is off of I-80. All motorists traveling towards Salt Lake City, Utah are being asked to top off their gas in Elko and motorists traveling south on US 93 are encouraged to fill up in Jackpot. Motorists traveling north from Ely should fill their tanks in Ely.

Blog: Feel the Quake? Tell Us About It

The Flying J Truck Stop was evacuated because of a propane leak, Gonzalez said. A person who answered the phone at Wells Elementary School said there were cracks in walls and items were displaced. "It was pretty bad," said Jane Kelso, who answered the phone at the Motel 6. "Everything in our whole building shook.

"We have cracks in our walls." The temblor was felt across eastern Nevada, Utah and as far away as Southern California and Boise, Idaho. In Twin Falls, Idaho, residents reported severe shaking and items falling off shelves. Wells is about 350 miles east of Reno on Interstate 80.

The strongest earthquake ever recorded in Nevada was in 1932 and struck in western Nevada, near Cedar Mountain. The magnitude was 7.2. There was minimal damage as it is an uninhabited part of the state.