Living in a trailer isn't what Jesus Donate and his family normally do for fun.
"You gotta be home," Jesus says, "It's not comfortable."
But after Tuesday's 4.0 aftershock, he has no choice. Jesus is one of about two dozen people forced out of their apartments when Long Beach Building Inspectors realized their roof had begun to collapse.
"We just came out, started panicking like, oh man, we got an earthquake," Jesus said of Tuesday afternoon. Neighbors flooded the street to see the damage.
"It's terrible," says Miriam Valenzuela. She also had to move out for the night. "Everybody had to get out, you know?"
Wednesday morning many of those who left returned hoping to get a clear answer as to when they'll be able to come home. Entry to get even necessary items was restricted.
"They're trying to get inside to get their stuff, clothes," says Valenzuela, "We've been out all night."
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
And yet this is the worst of any damage following the aftershock. Seismologists at CalTech say it could be one a few more aftershocks from Sunday's 4.7 Quake near Lennox. And in Southern California, that's considered typical.
"In 2009," said Seismologist Lucy Jones, "We had five quakes over 4.0 so we may be returning to a normal sort of period."
Meanwhile residents at this apartment complex in Long Beach will have to wait a few days for the roof to be prepared. They say it's an inconvenience but understand the danger should another aftershock rock this foundation.
