Earthquake Friday Night

A 4.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Los Angeles area 11:37 pm PST Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The quake was centered less than two miles west-southwest of South El Monte and occurred at 11:38 p.m. Several aftershocks occurred across the Los Angeles Basin shortly afterward.

The epicenter of the earthquake was almost the same location as the M5.9 Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987, according to seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones.

There have been reports that the quake was felt in La Habra, Long Beach, Oxnard, Ontario, Pasadena, near the Beverly Hills area, and other regions throughout L.A. County.

Some residents said they felt jolts from about three seconds to possibly up to a minute long.

This is one of the largest earthquakes in the Los Angeles Basin in a few years.

Jones said that 5% of the time, an initial earthquake may actually be a foreshock that is preceding a larger earthquake.

There is also an approximately 50% chance that an aftershock around 3.0 magnitude strength could be felt, according to Jones.

There were no reports of extensive damages or injuries in the city of L.A. on Friday night, LAFD said.

 

Reader Comments(0)