San Diego and Imperial Counties were shaken up late Wednesday afternoon, July 7, during a 5.4 earthquake centered 13 miles northwest of Borrego Springs. Except for a few items falling from grocery store shelves, no significant damage was reported. However several rocks tumbled from the hillsides along the grades leading out of the desert community. Some of the larger ones were reported to be about the size of a 7-8 gallon bucket, not a huge boulder by any standards, but enough to present a significant safety hazard. Most of these were on the Montezuma Grade between Borrego Springs and Ranchita.
Borrego Road Station crews quickly utilized rock plows mounted on the front of County vehicles to clear the roadways to ensure the safe passage of traffic on Montezuma Grade, Banner Grade and over Yacqui Pass.
According to Dan McManama, road crew supervisor at Borrego Springs, "Our job is to keep the roadways safe and passable whether it's repaving roads or fixing potholes, or clearing the roads following any type of rock slide. The public safety is our primary concern."
The roads were cleared by evening. County crews remain on alert for any aftershocks and additional rocks slides.
To report any type of road problems, complete the Road Service Request form on the DPW website, or call 877-684-8000.
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