'The Shaking Woke People Up:' Angelenos Stock Up On Survival Kits Amid Surge In Earthquake Activity

NORTH HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA) — Back-to-back quakes shocking Southern California have people scrambling to prepare for the "big one."

The City of Ridgecrest was rocked Friday evening by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake — just a day after a magnitude 6.4 quake hit in the same area of the Mojave Desert about 150 miles from Los Angeles.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: Ridgecrest Earthquake

When Kristiana Miller moved into her North Hills home ten years ago, she says she did what she could to make it safe because the Northridge earthquake in 1994 had shaken her up.

"I just remember being thrown out of my bed onto the ground. And I had no clue what was going on," she recalled.

She learned how important it was to strap down her large pieces of furniture and to keep breakable items low.

But when quakes started rattling Ridgecrest this week, she was among those realizing she wasn't as prepared as she should be.

"You let your guard down. And you move into new homes and think, 'I need to do this,' and ten years later, you haven't gotten to it yet," she said.

That's why she and her husband visited SOS Survival in Van Nuys today. They weren't the only ones stocking up on supplies.

"It's a busy day. The shaking woke people up," said owner Jeff Edelstein.

Customers have been picking up flashlights and first-aid kits, making sure they have enough food and water to last them three to five days. Jitsujo Gauthier says she'd been meaning to stock up for a while.

"I feel a little better. I think the water is really important because I don't want to be relying on someone else and taking someone else's water," she said.

Miller and her husband feel more prepared too. They hope they don't need to use their supplies, but they're glad they have water and food ready if there is an emergency.

"It was just refilling that and getting latches for the kitchen cabinets that we keep saying we're going to do," she said. "We're getting to it today."