5.2-magnitude earthquake jolts Southern California
Image from @SD_Earthquakes/X
PINE HILLS, Calif. – A strong earthquake struck in the eastern San Diego County highlands Monday, rattling a large swath of Southern California as far north as Los Angeles but resulting in no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The 5.2-magnitude temblor occurred at 10:08 a.m., centered in the Pine Hills area, about 2.5 miles south of Julian, according to the US Geological Survey.
A series of aftershocks promptly hit in the same general area, most with magnitude readings of less than 3.0, though one near Borrego Springs registered 3.5, and one struck again near Julian around 11:30 a.m. that registered 3.9, the agency reported.
Tracy Turner, owner of the Wynola Junction, looks over pictures that fell from shelves when a earthquake hit Monday, April 14, 2025, in Julian, Calif. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
The shaker was felt as far away as Orange and Riverside counties, as well as in West Los Angeles.
Representatives of Cal Fire and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said the agencies had gotten no word of injuries or property damage caused by the temblors.
Caltrans, however, reported that boulders had tumbled off of a roadside embankment onto a stretch of state Route 76 near East Grade Road, just west of Lake Henshaw in Santa Ysabel.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria wrote on social media that “there’s no known visible or major damage to the city so far, and I’m in communication with local, state and federal officials.”
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The National Weather Service issued a statement saying there was no threat of a tsunami in connection with the quake.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said the agency was working with local agencies to assess any possible damage or impacts from the quake. The governor’s office issued a statement saying Gov. Gavin Newsom had been briefed on the situation.
“The state is coordinating with local authorities to assess any damage and if emergency response is needed,” according to the governor’s office.
The quake appeared to have shaken “a very large area,” seismologist and Southern California earthquake expert Lucy Jones said. Given its size and depth, it was unlikely to have caused any serious damage “to a normal California building,” though it may have knocked around unsecured objects, she said.
“There shouldn’t be structural damage,” she added. “If there is, it’s in a pretty bad building.”
Following the quake, Metrolink canceled service on Orange County Line train 608 between San Clemente and Oceanside, allowing crews to conduct precautionary track inspections and determine if any damage had occurred.
One resident in the Vista area in San Diego County noted online that the quake “sounded and felt like a bomb went off.”
Bessie Eberhardt of Fallbrook told City News Service the temblor was one of the strongest she has felt in her decades of living in Orange and San Diego counties.
“It started with a slight tremor and loud boom; then the shaking started,” she said, adding that she was worried for her 93-year-old mother, whose bedroom is on the first floor of their home. “It lasted as long as it took me to run downstairs and get to my mom, who was disappointed she slept through it.” (CNS)
