Five aftershocks follow 3.9 magnitude earthquake in Newhall

Five aftershocks have followed a 3.9 magnitude earthquake in the Newhall area Sunday morning, but no major damage was reported.

The temblor hit at 8:24 a.m., with the epicenter in the Newhall and Santa Clarita area, said seismologist Egill Hauksson with the California Institute of Technology. The quake was felt across a wide area, including the San Fernando Valley, Antelope Valley and L.A. basin, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

There was a series of five aftershocks between 8:27 a.m. and 9:27 a.m. after Sunday's quake, ranging between 1.8 and 2.5 in magnitude, Hauksson said. Data from the earthquake shows movement fairly close to the surface, he said.

Officials with the Los Angeles county and city fire departments both said there were no reports of significant damage from the quake.

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Image: Location of the epicenter in Newhall. Credit: USGS

Great California ShakeOut: 9.3 million to take part in quake drill

Commuting is the focus of today's Great California ShakeOut, which is being billed as the "largest earthquake safety drill in U.S. history."

Across the state in schools, offices, hospitals and -- for the first time -- Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, people will be asked to drop, cover and hold on during the annual drill. Metro trains will also slow down at 10:18 a.m. as if a real earthquake occurred.

More than 9.3 million Californians are expected to take part.

"This is the first time we're focusing on commuters for a ShakeOut event," said John Bwarie, a spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey. "There’s about 250,000 just in Southern California, based on numbers from 2008, that commute across the San Andreas fault."

In Union Station, where more than 75,000 people pass through each day, a recording is to be played over loudspeakers, asking commuters and passersby to drop to the ground, take cover underneath something sturdy and hold on until the shaking stops.

Metro trains across Los Angeles County will slow down to restricted speeds -- slow enough to stop quickly and safely if there are obstructions on the track -- until all train operators on the line report back that the line is clear.

Trains won't be stopped, and the entire inspection should take about 15 minutes, said Marc Littman, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman.

"This is part of our emergency procedure, and the simulation drill is good training for us," Littman said. "The whole process is during off-peak hours, so there will be minimal impact on service."

The earthquake drills have grown steadily since they began in Southern California in 2008. Thursday's drill is also to be undertaken in British Columbia, Guam, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon.

6.2 earthquake off Baja is quickly followed by aftershocks

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Baja California has quickly been followed by at least two others.

The earthquake occurred in the ocean, 47 miles north-northeast of La Paz, off the coast of Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, the U.S. Geological Service reported Tuesday. That’s also about 604 miles south-southeast of Phoenix.

The  shaker struck about 4:45 p.m Los Angeles time at a depth of 6.3 miles. Twenty minutes later, a second quake of magnitude 4.2 was recorded.  A third quake, with a magnitude of 4.8, occurred 12 minutes after the second.

There was no immediate word on damage or injuries.

The area west of the Gulf of California, including the Baja California Peninsula, is moving northwestward with the Pacific plate at a speed of about 95 millimeters per year. Plate motion has pulled Baja California away from the coast, forming the Gulf of California and is the cause of earthquakes in that region, according to the USGS.

Mexico has a long history of destructive earthquakes. In September 1985, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake killed more than 9,500 people in Mexico City.

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California border hit by earthquake swarm

Imperial County was hit by more than a dozen small earthquakes Sunday, including a 5.4 quake near the Mexican border.

The first quake -- a magnitude 3.9 temblor -- occurred at 10:02 a.m. northwest of Brawley and was followed by a series of other quakes in the same general area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries, authorities said.

The quakes could be felt in the press box at the Del Mar Race Track in neighboring San Diego County, where the $1-million Pacific Classic is scheduled later Sunday.

Between 10 a.m. and 12:50 p.m., the same general area was shaken by quakes ranging in magnitude from 2.0 to 5.4, the USGS reported.

The burst of quakes took place roughly 16 miles from El Centro and 92 miles from Tijuana. In the last 10 days, there have been six earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.

Read more about California earthquakes on L.A. Now.

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Image: Location of the epicenter. Credit: Google Maps

Seismologists studying swarm of earthquakes in Southern California

Experts said the cluster of earthquakes that began Tuesday night are far from out of the ordinary for Southern California, but that the region has not seen this type of sequence in a few years.

At a news conference Wednesday morning, Kate Hutton of the U.S. Geological Survey at Caltech said there had been at least 30 quakes since Tuesday night, but only three could be felt by residents. She said officials are studying the quakes to understand whether it was a swarm or some other type of pattern.

"This is all part of the same earthquake sequence; they're all in the same area,'' Hutton told reporters at the briefing. "We haven't had anything in the L.A. Basin in the last few years, but that doesn't mean we're totally quiet, and we certainly have been active in the southern part of the state,'' she added.

The quakes jolted residents but caused no major damage.

"It shook us pretty good. We’ve felt earthquakes before, so it came as no surprise,” said Chris Nordyke, director of marketing at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda. “It shook open the door but nothing fell off the shelves.”

He said an inspection of the facility is underway.

Law enforcement officials in Orange County said there were no immediate reports of damage from the earthquake that hit near Yorba Linda about 9:30 a.m. (The Wednesday morning quake was initially downgraded to 4.1 but then upgraded back to 4.5.)

About 30 earthquakes strike in Southern California 'sequence'

A cluster of earthquakes that began Tuesday night continued Wednesday in northern Orange County, keeping residents on edge but causing little significant damage.

Photos emerged of bottles falling off a supermarket shelf in Anaheim Hills, but fire officials said they didn't get reports of anything more serious.

At a news conference Wednesday morning, Kate Hutton of the U.S. Geological Survey at Caltech said there had been at least 30 quakes since last night, but only three could be felt by residents.

"This is all part of the same earthquake sequence; they're all in the same area,'' Hutton told reporters at the briefing, which was televised by several TV stations.

Experts said more aftershocks are likely.

"It shook us pretty good. We’ve felt earthquakes before so it came as no surprise,” said Chris Nordyke, director of marketing at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda. “It shook open the door but nothing fell off the shelves.”

He said an inspection of the facility is underway.

Law enforcement officials in Orange County said there were no immediate reports of damage from the earthquake that hit near Yorba Linda about 9:30 a.m. (The Wednesday morning quake was initially downgraded to 4.1 but then upgraded back to 4.5.)

Lt. Santo Porto of the Brea Police Department, which serves that city and Yorba Linda, said police had evacuated the department to check the structure but found no problems. “There’s no damage in either city that we’ve heard so far,” he said.

Series of California earthquakes 'shook us pretty good'

A series of Orange County earthquakes rattled residents around Southern California but caused no reported damage.

"It shook us pretty good. We’ve felt earthquakes before so it came as no surprise,” said Chris Nordyke, director of marketing at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda. “It shook open the door but nothing fell off the shelves.”

He said an inspection of the facility is underway.

Law enforcement officials in Orange County said there were no immediate reports of damage from the earthquake that hit near Yorba Linda about 9:30 a.m. (The Wednesday morning quake was initially downgraded to 4.1 but then upgraded back to 4.5.)

Lt. Santo Porto of the Brea Police Department, which serves that city and Yorba Linda, said police had evacuated the department to check the structure but found no problems. “There’s no damage in either city that we’ve heard so far,” he said.

Orange County sheriff’s officials said they had received no initial damage reports either.

The series of quakes -- including the 4.5 quake Wednesday morning and 4.4 quake Tuesday night -- has rattled residents in the area.

“No one really freaked but everyone sure felt it,” said Roxann Reeves, supervisor at a Starbucks on Yorba Linda Boulevard, where about 20 customers were in line when the aftershock hit. “We’d all just been talking about the one last night.” 

The first earthquake hit near Yorba Linda at 11:23 p.m.; the second — upgraded from an initial magnitude of 2.2 — followed about a minute later, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. About a dozen aftershocks ranging from magnitudes of 1.2 to 2.2 rumbled the same area until about 3 a.m. Wednesday.

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After earthquakes, no impacts reported at Disneyland

This post has been updated and corrected. See note below.

No damage was reported from the latest Orange County earthquake, though fire departments were making routine checks.

A spokesman for the Disneyland Resort said that rides had not been closed, but that he was not sure about other safety checks being made. The 4.5 earthquake struck near Yorba Linda, about 12 miles away from the park in Anaheim.

[Updated, 11:16 a.m. Aug. 8: USGS officials revised the earthquake magnitude from 4.1 back to 4.5.]

The series of quakes -- including the 4.5 quake Wednesday morning and 4.4 quake Tuesday night -- has rattled residents in the area.

Orange County sheriff's officials and Brea police said there were no preliminary reports of injuries or damage.

“No one really freaked but everyone sure felt it,” said Roxann Reeves, supervisor at a Starbucks on Yorba Linda Boulevard, where about 20 customers were in line when the aftershock hit. “We’d all just been talking about the one last night.” 

The first earthquake hit near Yorba Linda at 11:23 p.m.; the second — upgraded from an initial magnitude of 2.2 — followed about a minute later, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. About a dozen aftershocks ranging from magnitudes of 1.2 to 2.2 rumbled the same area until about 3 a.m. Wednesday.

For the record, 10:41 a.m. Aug. 8: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said Disneyland was shutting down rides to do safety checks. 

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Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

4.5 earthquake hits near Yorba Linda

This post has been updated. See note below.

A 4.5 earthquake hit near Yorba Linda at 9:33 a.m., the latest in a series of earthquakes to hit the area.

[Updated, 9:46 a.m. Aug. 8: Officials revised their estimate of the earthquake's magnitude to 4.1 from 4.5.]

[Updated, 11:12 a.m. Aug. 8: USGS officials later in the morning again revised the earthquake magnitude back to 4.5.]

The first earthquake hit near Yorba Linda at 11:23 p.m.; the second — upgraded from an initial magnitude of 2.2 — followed about a minute later, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey. About a dozen aftershocks ranging from magnitudes of 1.2 to 2.2 rumbled the same area until about 3 a.m. Wednesday.

There was no immediate word of injuries or damage, but the quake was felt over a wide area.

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Credit: U.S. Geological Survey

4.4 earthquake rattles Southern California

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake rattled Southern California on Tuesday night. The quake was reported at 11:23 p.m. and was centered around Yorba Linda in northern Orange County.

There was no immediate word of injuries or damage, but the quake was felt over a wide area.

According to the the U.S. Geological Survey, the temblor struck two miles northeast of Yorba Linda, about 29 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

It was felt from Long Beach northwest to Santa Monica, as well as in downtown L.A.

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Map: U.S. Geological Survey