A magnitude-4.6 earthquake northwest of Malibu caused widespread shaking that was felt early Friday afternoon from the coast to inland areas of Southern California. The quake was reported just before 2 p.m., about 7 miles northwest of Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountains. The earthquake event resulted in more than a dozen aftershocks, including some of magnitudes 3.0 and 2.7, were reported within an hour in the same area. The earthquake caused shaking throughout the greater Los Angeles area, where it was felt by as many as 12 million people. The quake also reached the LA, Orange, and Ventura county coasts, and was felt in inland areas such as the San Fernando Valley, downtown LA, Riverside, Irvine, and Anaheim, along with some weak to light shaking being felt in parts of north San Diego County.
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones reported that it was a “major jolt,” recalling that many of her dental patients felt the shaking, adding that while it was a little nerve-racking, everyone soon proceeded with dentistry normally. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, no significant damage was reported though the department was conducting a damage survey, standard procedure after a greater magnitude earthquake. Moreover, The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center reported that no tsunami was triggered. The earthquake comes on the same date as the deadly 1971 San Fernando earthquake that left dozens of people dead, caused property damage, and raised fears of a potential dam collapse, reminding Southern California residents of the periodic dangers associated with living along active fault lines.
Also noteworthy is a magnitude-5.7 earthquake that happened on Hawaii’s Big Island, causing shaking about 200 miles away on Oahu, including in Honolulu. The Hawaii earthquake might have no direct connection to seismic activity in Southern California, but the occurrences make one situation evident: being prepared for an earthquake–given the disasters’ unpredictability and far-reaching potential impacts–is vital.
