The small town of Ridgecrest, close to the epicentre, assessed damage after several fires and multiple injuries that were blamed on the magnitude 6.4 quake.
People slept outside in tents because they were so nervous.
Damage appeared limited to desert areas, although the quake was felt widely, including in the Los Angeles area 240 kilometres away.
The largest aftershock thus far - magnitude 5.4 - was also felt in LA before dawn yesterday.