6.9 quake in Baja California rattles office workers in San Diego [Updated]
A 6.9 earthquake this morning in Baja California was felt in the San Diego area, prompting some people to evacuate a downtown San Diego office tower.
The temblor hit about 360 miles south of the California border, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. TV news footage showed some office workers milling outside San Diego high-rise buildings, and the local NBC affiliate reported that people had left City Hall.
The temblor struck about 11 a.m. in the Gulf of California, about 49 miles from Santa Isabel. There was no immediate word of damage or injuries.
[Updated at noon: There were several moderate temblors in the same part of the Gulf of California before the 6.9 earthquake struck, and officials said this might be a quake swarm. A 5.8 quake struck before the 6.9 temblor, and a 5.0 and 5.9 hit soon after.
Officials have not issued a tsumani warning in the wake of the quakes. [Updated at 4:50 p.m.: The USGS placed the depth of the quake at 6.2 miles. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said the quake struck 4.5 miles underground.]
According to the USGS's Did You Feel It? Web page, the quake was felt in San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Orange and elsewhere.]
-- Shelby Grad
Image: U.S. Geological Survey
EDITOR'S PICKS:
We felt it in Los Angeles!
Posted by: JCH | August 03, 2009 at 12:08 PM
We felt it all the way in Century City. At that point it was just a wee tremble but still!
Posted by: Jennifer | August 03, 2009 at 12:09 PM
I felt it in Milwaukee
Posted by: Chaz | August 03, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Sure you did. More power of suggestion from the media. Herding mentality takes over. Meanwhile, I'm living in Mexico (Mazatlan) and it's closer than you guys. We felt nothing! Nor have others. I talked to someone in the state of Sonora, directly across from where this would have been. They felt nothing.
Posted by: V | August 03, 2009 at 12:38 PM
That should be Tucson, AZ not Tuscon.
T-U-C-S-O-N
Posted by: AZ resident | August 03, 2009 at 12:40 PM
We didn't feel it in Hermosa Beach, CA.
Posted by: Gracie | August 03, 2009 at 12:42 PM
"A 6.9 earthquake this morning in Baja California was felt in the San Diego area, prompting some people to evacuate a downtown San Diego office tower."
San Diego only has ONE office tower? So you found a few nervous hens in one building and reported on it as news? Ugh.
Posted by: Scaredy Cat | August 03, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Didn't feel a thing in the valley.
Posted by: Al | August 03, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Phoenix: the new Mailibu on the revised West Coast.
Posted by: Liquidity | August 03, 2009 at 12:48 PM
I felt it in Maryland!! Really!
Posted by: Mike | August 03, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Learn to swim
Posted by: Gerry | August 03, 2009 at 12:48 PM
We felt it in Tampa!
GEEEZ ... that was a strong one!
Posted by: Casey | August 03, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Yeah we felt it here on the moon as well, no really!
Posted by: steve | August 03, 2009 at 12:51 PM
i felt it on venus!
Posted by: zippy the pinhead | August 03, 2009 at 12:52 PM
Ha, ha, ha.
"According to the USGS's Did You Feel It? Web page, the quake was felt in San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Long Beach, Orange and elsewhere."
Elsewhere? Like, say, Zimbabwe perhaps? How it is that it was felt (but not "reportedly") in ALL of those areas in the U.S. and you found out about it in under an hour but still have NO reports from Mexico itself? Hmm? Interesting.
Posted by: Givin' Me The Shakes | August 03, 2009 at 12:52 PM
I felt it at your house :)
Posted by: I Can Feel IT! | August 03, 2009 at 12:54 PM
I felt it in Florida while riding inside the Haunted Mansion at Disney World.
Posted by: Bubba | August 03, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Don't get me all excited for nothing. Just let us know when CA falls into the ocean. I have champagne on ice.
Posted by: Restofa Merica | August 03, 2009 at 12:54 PM
I felt it in Alaska while I was sunbathing on an icefloe.
Posted by: Pale face | August 03, 2009 at 12:55 PM
OMG we're here in Georgia!
Nope, didn't feel it.
Posted by: kenth | August 03, 2009 at 12:56 PM
NO, we did NOT feel it in Los Angeles, You people are INSANE! I am on the 2nd floor of a building in West Los Angeles, nothing was felt here by anyone. I called my husband who is working in Oceanside CA on the 3rd floor of a building, on a ladder, he nor nor his coworkers felt the quakes, he is 75 miles closer to Baja than myself. Either these are cases of extremely sensitive individuals, along the lines of "The Princess and the Pea" or mass hysteria.
Posted by: Sheila | August 03, 2009 at 12:57 PM
San Diego, Ca. ..... didnt feel a thing.
Posted by: madmommy09 | August 03, 2009 at 12:57 PM
I felt it in New Jersey.
Posted by: paukenkiger | August 03, 2009 at 12:57 PM
We felt this in Florida!!!!!!!
Posted by: John | August 03, 2009 at 01:02 PM
I felt it in Dallas!
Posted by: Dallas | August 03, 2009 at 01:03 PM