Magnitude 4.4 earthquake strikes Southern California

Homes sit on a hilltop with a view of the downtown Los Angeles skyline Thursday, June 10, 2021, in Los Angeles. An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 centered near the Highland Park area rattled Los Angeles and a wide swath of the Southland. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

HIGHLAND PARK, Calif. – An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 centered near the Highland Park area rattled a wide swath of the Southland Monday, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.

The temblor hit at 12:20 p.m., centered two miles south-southeast of Highland Park, according to the US Geological Survey. The magnitude was initially reported at 4.6, but was later reduced to 4.4. It struck at a depth of about 7.5 miles.

Many residents reported a rolling sensation that lasted for several seconds. In Pasadena, close to the quake’s epicenter, a water line ruptured as a result of the quake at Pasadena City Hall, and water could be seen pouring out of a pipe on the building’s exterior. Employees mostly evacuated the building, but began going back inside around 1:15 p.m.

The Glendora Police Department reported that all of the business phone lines at the department and at Glendora City Hall were down, although the 911 system was still working. It was unclear if the problem was directly related to the quake.

The Los Angeles Fire Department immediately went into “Earthquake Mode,” sending crews out across the city to examine critical infrastructure and check for damage to buildings, bridges and other facilities.

“There are currently no initial reports of structural damage or injuries,” according to an LAFD statement. “An update will be provided once LAFD Earthquake Mode is complete. Though no additional earthquake activity is predicted, firefighters ask you to prepare for any aftershock.”

Other public safety agencies across the region also dispatched crews to check for any possible damage.

“Thankfully, no major damages or road closures were reported due to the earthquake,” county Supervisor Holly Mitchell wrote on social media.

The shaker was felt across a wide area spanning most of Los Angeles County and stretching into Orange County and even parts of Riverside County.

Metro alerted riders that trains throughout its transit system would be slowing down so tracks can be checked for any possible damage. The check was quickly completed, and trains resumed normal service shortly before 1 p.m.

Southland earthquake expert Lucy Jones told reporters the earthquake appeared to be based in the same group of faults that created the 1987 Whittier Narrows quake. She noted that it occurred in roughly the same location as a 3.4-magnitude quake that struck on June 2.

“There have been others in the past,” Jones said. “In 1989, we had a pair of four-and-a-half’s there were also in the system that were just a half-hour apart. There have been plenty of small ones over the years that are also within this.”

The shaker came on the heels of a 5.2-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 6 centered in the Bakersfield area that was also felt across most of the Southland.

As usual, local officials urged residents to use the quake as a reminder to be prepared for a shaker at any time.

“Having lived through the Northridge earthquake, today’s tremor made me flashback to what we know are life saving rules during an earthquake: drop, cover, and hold on,” county Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement.

“It was also a reminder to us all that we live in earthquake country and we need to be prepared.

“I want to remind L.A. County residents who are feeling jittery after today’s quake to visit ready.lacounty.gov. You’ll find helpful tips and information on how to prepare and be ready for earthquakes and any other hazard that can impact our county.”

Many residents were alerted to the quake through the MyShake early warning app, which generally sends out notifications when shakers are magnitude 4.5 or greater. Although Monday’s quake turned out to be only a 4.4-magnitude, the original USGS estimate put the size at 4.6, triggering the alert. (CNS)

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