Los Angeles and its surrounding counties felt the earth tremble this Friday afternoon, as a 4.6 magnitude earthquake, with its epicenter just outside of Malibu, sent shock waves reaching as far as the Inland Empire and south Orange County. According to the OC Register, the quake struck just hours following a separate, more powerful 5.7 magnitude shake in Hawaii, though it is not reported whether the two events are related.
Residents across a broad stretch of Southern California were jolted by the quake, from San Diego to Santa Barbara and Bakersfield, with more than 3,000 people rushing to report their experiences to the USGS in the immediate aftermath, meanwhile, several aftershocks, including one measuring a smaller magnitude 3.0, followed shortly after the initial seismic event, these details sourced from the LAist.
The ground shook approximately 7.5 miles northwest of Malibu around 1:47 p.m., but despite the widespread rattling, no tsunami warnings were issued. The quick rattling of the earth caught many by surprise, yet, some residents received an approximately 10-second warning thanks to the U.S. Geological Survey's earthquake early warning system, particularly those in the San Fernando Valley area. The technology provided a brief buffer that could have been crucial for safety measures and harm reduction.
While the repercussions of the quake are still being assessed, the immediate absence of a tsunami threat was a relief to the coastal communities that braced for potential follow-through disasters.
