The quakes sent shock waves through Caracas, triggering panic and widespread damage.
"All of a sudden, the floor started trembling at 6:04 p.m. and everybody started running trying to be the first to get out of the café," said Carlos Manuel Diaz, a Venezuelan resident. "We ran to a square nearby, and like 100-200 people concentrated there. We were watching buildings, parts of buildings falling off. A few blocks from where I was, two buildings went down."
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Diaz documented cracks throughout his building and said many neighbors are leaving their cars outside, ready to evacuate as aftershocks continue.
"Thirty-two small ones like an hour ago- there was one that was strong but not as bad as the one yesterday," he said.
In the Bay Area, concerns are growing among those with family in Venezuela. Elaine Agrizone said she has been unable to reach her relatives.
"We've been trying to reach her since yesterday. She doesn't answer. Her husband doesn't answer either," Agrizone said. "We are hoping that the reason they haven't reached out is because they don't have signal."
Venezuela's interim president has declared a state of emergency, as search-and-rescue teams from California and Virginia were deployed to assist efforts to locate survivors.
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Harold Schapelhouman, a veteran firefighter and founding member of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, said specialized teams are trained to respond to complex structural collapses.
"This is what they trained for. It's very specific. They work with dogs, they work with structural engineers, they work with physicians in terms of saving victims from things like crush syndrome injuries," said Schapelhouman.
He emphasized that time is critical in rescue operations following earthquakes.
"24 hours, most disasters, specifically earthquakes, have about an 80% chance of survival," Schapelhouman said. "And then if you get in the second day, it drops down to about 36%."
U.S. Geological Survey estimates suggest the death toll in Venezuela will likely exceed the thousands.