Magnitude 6.0 earthquake hits off the Northern California coast near Eureka [Updated]

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California on Thursday, near the Humboldt County area hit by last month's 6.5 temblor.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, but the quake was felt over a large swath of the region, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake hit at about 12:20 p.m. approximately 50 miles northwest of Eureka. Officials were checking for structural damage, including examining buildings that were damaged in the Jan. 9 quake.

The January quake caused more than $30 million in damage and resulted in the planned demolition of at least one building.

On Twitter, some residents said they felt a sharp jolt, but they added that it did not feel as strong as the January quake.

[Updated at 1:40 p.m.: The Eureka Times-Standard reported Thursday's quake occurred in roughly the same area as last month's quake and appears to be an aftershock. It quoted emergency personnel as saying they doubted there would be major damage from this quake.]

-- Shelby Grad

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Earthquake off Baja California coast is felt in San Diego

A 4.4 earthquake off the coast of Baja California this morning rattled San Diego, but there were no reports of injuries or damage.

The temblor struck at 6:19 a.m. in the Pacific Ocean about 31 miles west of Rosarito Beach and 41 miles from Imperial Beach.

Officials said the quake was felt in Tijuana and San Diego. The magnitude of the quake was originally estimated at 5.0 but was later downgraded.

There was a series of smaller quakes to the east along the California-Mexico border this weekend. They did not cause any damage or injuries.

-- Shelby Grad

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Memorial set for diplomat, a Whittier native, killed in Haiti earthquake [Update]

A memorial service for Victoria DeLong, 57, a career diplomat who was killed Jan. 12 when her house collapsed in the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, will be held Saturday in Whittier, her hometown.

DeLong, a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service, served as a cultural affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince. Scheduled to attend the 1:30 p.m. service at Rose Hills Memorial Park are Ambassador Nancy J. Powell, director general of the Foreign Service, and Susan R. Johnson, president of the American Foreign Service Assn. in Washington.

In a Jan. 15 statement, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said DeLong "worked tirelessly to build bridges of understanding and respect between the people of the United States and the people of Haiti."

Thomas Switzer, a spokesman for the association, said at least six Foreign Service nationals died and 28 others are unaccounted for.

For information about the memorial, contact Rita Gima, DeLong's sister, at (626) 826-6332 or rlg18@sbcglobal.net. Donations in DeLong's name may be made to the Little Flower/Rose Mina orphanage in Port-au-Prince, where she volunteered. Online donations may be made through Partners in Progress.

[Update 11:41 a.m.: Switzer said at least six Foreign Service nationals died and 26 others are unaccounted for]

[Update 12:29 a.m. For information about the memorial, contact David Brown at Rose Hills in Whittier at (562) 699-0921.]

-- Martha Groves

Photo: Victoria DeLong. Credit: U.S. State Department.

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L.A. County search-and-rescue team to return from Haiti today

After saving nine lives during a two-week deployment to help earthquake victims in Haiti, an urban search-and-rescue team from Los Angeles is set to land back in Southern California this evening.

The 72-member team, which included doctors, structural engineers, firefighters, communications specialists and six search-and-rescue dogs, was expected to arrive at the L.A. County Fire Department station in Pacoima about 6:30 p.m., said Inspector Frederic Stowers.

"They were doing 'round-the-clock search-and-rescue missions," Stowers said.

In one of its rescue efforts, a crowd of Haitians applauded and chanted "USA! USA!" as team members carried a victim to safety.

The L.A. team's mission was coordinated by the U.S. Agency for International Development to provide aid to victims of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that hit the impoverished Caribbean island nation Jan. 12.

The team will be greeted this evening by their families and fire safety officials, Stowers said. It had last been partially deployed to New Orleans to help Hurricane Katrina victims.

-- Amina Khan

Photo: L.A. County Fire Department urban search-and-rescue team members prepare Jan. 12 for deployment to Haiti. Credit: Mike Meadows / Associated Press

LAX honor guard will escort body of diplomat killed in Haiti earthquake

A police honor guard will be at Los Angeles International Airport tonight to receive the body of a U.S. diplomat killed in the Haiti earthquake.

Victoria DeLong, 57, was a U.S. State Department cultural affairs officer assigned to Port Au Prince. She died in her home when the magnitude 7 quake struck the island nation last week, officials said.

DeLong was from California and lived in the San Diego area, according to media reports.

The six-person honor guard from the airport police will drape the coffin with a U.S. flag and carry it to an awaiting vehicle after the flight arrives around 10:30 p.m., said Sgt. Robert Richardson.

DeLong began her career at the State Department in 1983 and served in varied assignments from the Congo to Germany and the Dominican Republic, the department said.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Victoria DeLong. Credit: U.S. State Department.

Southland doctor performs surgery on Haiti quake survivor aboard aircraft carrier

Among Southland doctors and nurses aiding Haitian earthquake relief efforts today is Dr. Henri Ford. As chief of surgery at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Ford helped Dr. Demetrios Demetriades organize a team of 10 trauma specialists from the Keck School of Medicine at USC. The team has been treating quake victims at a field hospital in Port-au-Prince’s national soccer stadium.

But Ford was not with them this afternoon. Instead, the Haiti native was operating on wounded children with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta aboard the Carl Vinson, an aircraft carrier docked off the Haitian coast. He sent this dispatch to colleagues:

“I med-evaced a six-year-old boy who had a pelvic fracture and a ruptured bladder after a brick wall fell on his lower abdomen. I escorted him to the ship by helicopter and performed a laparotomy (abdominal surgery). While on the ship, the Chief Medical Officer asked me to stay to help with a young girl with penetrating head trauma. A roof collapsed on her and a piece of brick was embedded in her skull with extension to the brain. Last night, we removed most of the brick. However we had another piece that I could not easily reach without doing a partial craniectomy. I closed and the ship's general surgeon called Sanjay Gupta who came out to the ship this morning and removed a piece of skull. After the operation, the helicopter took us back to the embassy. I'm about to rejoin my team after 24 hours on the Vinson.”

The team had flown into Port-au-Prince yesterday from Fort Lauderdale on a private jet provided by Project Medishare Haiti and the University of Miami’s Global Institute for Community Health and Development, a spokeswoman said.

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske

Photo: In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, Cmdr. Jerry Berman, left, a Navy surgeon; Dr. Henri  Ford, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles surgeon-in-chief originally from Haiti; Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a CNN medical correspondent and practicing neurosurgeon; and Lt. Cmdr. Kathryn Berndt, a Navy surgeon, perform surgery on a 12-year-old Haitian girl with a severe head injury aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Carl Vinson today off the coast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Surgeons removed a piece of concrete from the child's brain. Credit: United States Navy

L.A. medical team arrives in Haiti to treat earthquake victims

A team of doctors and nurses from Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center is assisting patients at a field hospital in Haiti today, a university spokeswoman said.

The nine-member team arrived in Haiti on Sunday, said spokeswoman Leslie Ridgeway. They had expected to assist at a clinic set up by the University of Miami at Port-au-Prince airport, but were told instead to travel to a field hospital run by the Israeli Defense Forces at the national soccer stadium, located on the southwest side of the city.

“Outstanding facility -- everyone being put to use,” wrote Ramon Cestero, a County-USC trauma and critical-care surgeon, in an e-mail. “Amputations, debridements [cleaning burns] common. Occasional gunshot injuries, as well. Will likely rejoin University of Miami team in one to two days at airport. Everyone doing well.” 

4.3 quake rattles Beaumont area; no injuries or damage reported

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake centered near Beaumont in the Inland Empire struck early this morning, but there were no reports of damage or injuries, according authorities and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The quake’s epicenter was about nine miles deep and about three miles west-northwest of Beaumont and 71 miles east of downtown Los Angeles.

The quake was felt as far away as the Coachella Valley, according to the USGS website.

Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department said there were no reports of injuries or damage to local structures. The San Bernardino County Fire Department also had no incidents to report.

-- Ruben Vives

Hundreds of Southland nurses volunteer to go to Haiti

Hundreds of Southland doctors and nurses were preparing today to travel to Haiti to aid relief efforts. More than 400 nurses in Southern California have volunteered to travel there in response to an appeal from National Nurses United, a 150,000-member nurses union.

More than 4,500 nurses have volunteered nationally, a union spokesman said.

Nurse Lunie Dorcin of Lancaster is expected to be among the first group of about 40 nurses sent this weekend. Dorcin, 33, a registered nurse at Antelope Valley Hospital, grew up and trained in Haiti before moving to the U.S. in 2004.

“This is my country,” she said. “I can help them.”

She still remembers the challenges of providing medical care in Haiti before the earthquake: sporadic electricity, outdated medical equipment or no equipment at all. Many of Dorcin’s relatives are still in Haiti, some in peril after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake Tuesday afternoon.

Quake swarm hits Inyo County; no damage reported

A quake swarm hit the Eastern Sierra region of California this morning.

Four quakes -- the largest measuring magnitude 3.5 -- rattled the Coso Junction area of Inyo County beginning about 4:10 a.m.

It's the latest of several quakes this month in the area. Such quake series are far from uncommon in parts of California. There was a swarm of small temblors in Imperial County last month.

There were no reports of damage or injuries in this morning's series.

Coso Junction is about 20 miles north of Ridgecrest.

-- Shelby Grad

Rescuers from Orange County leaving to aid quake victims in Haiti

A search-and-rescue task force from Orange County was preparing tonight for a flight to Haiti to help with rescue efforts in the quake-devastated Caribbean island nation, authorities said.

About 80 firefighters, structural engineers, doctors, paramedics and handlers with their search dogs were expected to fly out of March Air Force Base in Riverside County early Thursday, said Capt. Greg McKeown of the Orange County Fire Authority.

The task force includes civilians, fire authority personnel and members of other Orange County fire departments.

Earlier tonight, a specialized rescue task force from the Los Angeles County Fire Department departed for the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, which was reportedly hard hit by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Tuesday.

--Robert J. Lopez

L.A. rescuers expect to leave tonight for quake-devastated Haiti

A specialized rescue team from Los Angeles is at March Air Force Base in Riverside County and is expected to leave tonight for earthquake-ravaged Haiti, officials said.

The heavy rescue task force from the Los Angeles County Fire Department is expected to depart on a military transport aircraft about 9 p.m. and fly directly to Port-au-Prince, which apparently suffered the brunt of the 7.0 magnitude quake that struck Tuesday, according to officials.

"Their primary objective will be search and rescue," said Fire Department Inspector Matt Levesque, who was with the unit at the base.

The airport at Port-au-Prince was reported to be usable, even though the control tower was damaged,  officials said.

The 72-member team includes paramedics, emergency room physicians, structural engineers, search dogs and firefighters trained in combing through collapsed structures with sophisticated detection devices to find victims trapped in rubble.

Once in Haiti, the task force will coordinate with disaster officials who are surveying the widespread damage. The goal will be to focus on collapsed structures where victims had the best chance of surviving, Levesque said.

"A lot of what they do is going to be determined through reconnaissance when they are on the ground," he said.

-- Robert J. Lopez
 

Poor building codes, perfect-storm earthquake led to massive destruction in Haiti, experts say

The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti was in many ways a perfect storm: A strong, shallow temblor beneath a densely populated area with few building codes.

The magnitude 7.0 quake occurred along the boundary separating two major tectonic plates, the Caribbean and North American plates.

Most of the movement along these plates is what is known as left-lateral strike slip motion, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with the Caribbean plate moving eastward in relation to the North American plate.

Kate Hutton, a seismologist at Caltech, said that the severity of the Tuesday's quake was due to three major factors: the size of the quake itself, the fact that it struck under an urban center with a high density, and that it happened in a region with few building codes or enforcement.

In many ways, said Hutton, the quake was similar to quakes seen along the San Andreas fault: It was shallow, a fact that enhances the intensity and makes it more localized to the region right along the fault.

"We are not surprised by any of it," Hutton said. 

L.A. fire rescue team poised to leave for Haiti to aid earthquake victims

An L.A. County Fire Department search-and-rescue team is packed and ready to go to Haiti following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Caribbean island nation, officials said this morning.

The 72-member heavy rescue task force received a request for help Tuesday from the U.S. Agency for International Development and is waiting at a staging area in Pacoima while authorities finalize the logistical details of the deployment, said county Fire Inspector Frederic Stowers.

“These things do take time,” he said. “A lot of it has to do with surveying the damage, making sure we can get them in safely.”

L.A. County rescuers waiting for orders to respond to Haiti earthquake

Rescuers from Los Angeles County were awaiting orders tonight to respond to earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

The heavy rescue task force from the Los Angeles County Fire Department was preparing its equipment at a staging area in Pacoima, officials said.

"If and when they get the word, they'll go," said Inspector Steve Zermeno of the county Fire Department. "I know they're needed down there."

The 72 members are part of a self-contained squad that responds with 55,000 pounds of pre-packaged medical supplies and specialized search-and-rescue equipment.

The team includes paramedics, emergency room physicians, structural engineers, search dogs and firefighters trained in searching collapsed structures and pulling victims from the rubble, fire officials said.

The unit was ordered into action after receiving a request earlier in the day from the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to fire officials.

The 7.0-magnitude quake struck the Caribbean island nation about 4:45 p.m., collapsing buildings and causing widespread chaos.
 
--Robert J. Lopez

L.A. County fire rescue team prepares to deploy to Haiti earthquake [Update]

A specialized rescue unit from the Los Angeles County Fire Department is preparing for deployment to Haiti following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Caribbean island nation earlier today, officials said.

The 72-member heavy rescue task force received a request for help from the U.S. Agency for International Development and is gathering at a staging area in Pomona, county fire officials said.

The team includes paramedics, search dogs, communication specialists and rescuers who are trained in combing through collapsed structures to find victims.

The rescuers rely on sophisticated detection devices and equipment capable of shoring weakened structures and moving heavy chunks of rubble, officials said.

Relief officials said they were preparing for substantial damage and casualties after Haiti was rocked by the quake, the largest to ever strike the region.

-- Robert J. Lopez

[Update: The Los Angeles County rescue unit will gather at a staging area in Pacoima, not Pomona.]

Earthquakes rattle Banning area

Several earthquakes, one with a preliminary magnitude of 4.3, struck the Banning area in Riverside County today but caused no damage, authorities said.

The magnitude 4.3 quake was recorded at 6:36 p.m. about three miles northeast of Banning, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The temblor was preceded by about half a dozen smaller quakes, the strongest measuring 3.2 several hours earlier.

The Banning Police Department said tonight that no reports of damage were received.

-- Robert J. Lopez

Photo: Quake area. Source: USGS.

Damage from 6.5 Eureka earthquake now at $21.9 million

Officials have increased the estimated damage toll from the 6.5 Eureka earthquake to $21.8 million and said they had received 219 reports of damage.

Eureka and surrounding communities were slowly getting back to normal Monday, two days after the temblor struck. About 20 people were displaced from their homes, but the bulk of those came from the same apartment building near the center of the city.

Although about 30 people were treated for cuts, bruises, scrapes and anxiety-related illnesses, only one person – an elderly woman who broke her hip – was admitted to the hospital.

In Eureka's Old Town and elsewhere on the North Coast, residents were largely taking their geological quirk in stride. “I talked to people who just moved here and they thought their life was ending, but for me it was just annoying,” said Sandra Warshaw, who has lived in Eureka since 1985. “It’s like an ‘Oh, well’ rather than an ‘Oh, my God’.”

Warshaw was in Old Town on Monday taking photos of a building that housed the now-vacant Old Town Bar & Grill.

Officials said the quake caused significant damage to that brick building and that its parapet fell several stories onto an adjacent business, crashing through the roof and squashing a parked car.

The Eureka City Council on Monday voted to demolish that brick building, which had also been damaged by previous quakes.

-- Ari B. Bloomekatz in Eureka

Northern California city assesses damage after major earthquake

Officials in Eureka, Calif., this morning were assessing damage from a magnitude-6.5 earthquake that rocked California's northern coast on Saturday.

There appeared to be no life-threatening injuries from the quake. But officials said perhaps dozens suffered mostly minor injuries.

The Eureka Times-Standard reported that several people were taken by ambulance from the Bayshore Mall, which was closed because of the temblor. Their condition was not immediately known.

The quake snapped power lines, toppled chimneys, knocked down traffic signals, shattered windows and prompted the evacuation of at least one apartment building.

The temblor struck at 4:27 p.m. about 33 miles southwest of the coastal city of 26,000 and was powerful enough to send people running into the streets, some fearing a tsunami.

The quake, centered offshore and about 13 miles deep, was felt as far north as central Oregon, as far south as Santa Cruz and as far east as Reno, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

"It was a monstrous one," said Phil Burns, owner of Mity Nice Bakery, Cafe and Restaurant in Eureka, which is about 80 miles south of the Oregon border. "Usually, they're sharp, but this one was very wiggly. It was rolling in all directions."

In the southern Eureka fishing village of King Salmon, the 10 seconds of shaking broke power lines and knocked out electricity throughout the isolated seaside community of about 750 people.

Power disrupted but no injuries reported in Eureka quake

The earthquake near Eureka, Calif., this afternoon -- a reported magnitude 6.5 -- snapped power lines, toppled televisions and shook up local stores, but so far no injuries have been reported.

The quake struck at 4:27 p.m. and was centered under the Pacific Ocean, about 25 miles southwest of Eureka. A tsunami was not expected, according to the National Weather Service.

About 25,000 customers were without power, according to Jeff Smith, spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. "We've got some downed power lines as well as some other damage to other equipment," he said. "We're still in the process of assessing the situation and making sure we take the necessary safety precautions both for our employees as well as for our customers."

The California Highway Patrol in Eureka said major roads were open and there was no reported damage to bridges and highways. Firefighters in the area were responding to numerous calls of gas leaks and downed power lines.

6.5 earthquake near Eureka, Calif., snaps power lines and topples televisions [Updated]

A strong earthquake, estimated magnitude 6.5, rocked the Eureka, Calif., area this afternoon, snapping power lines, toppling televisions, disrupting power throughout the region and forcing the evacuation of at least one mall. 

The earthquake was centered under the Pacific Ocean, about 25 miles southwest of Eureka, at 4:27 p.m. A tsunami was not expected, according to the National Weather Service.

[Updated 5:57 p.m.: The California Highway Patrol in Eureka reported no major damage to roads and bridges and highways and said roads are open. 

"Right now it's very preliminary but there does not seem to be any damage that is overly significant." said Capt. Dale Cannon. "We've got some minor glass breakage, some gas mains affected and some power lines down."

He said he has not heard of reports of any injuries.]

[Updated: 6:27 p.m.: The California Emergency Management Agency said there has been no call from the Eureka area for emergency assistance  because only minimal damage has been reported.

"We've had some reports of minor damage, cosmetic damage, windows broken," said  Kelly Huston, assistant secretary of the agency. "But so far, it's all very minor, and no damage as far as we can tell to roadways and thoroughfares."

The last major earthquake in the area was a magnitude 7.2 tremor on April 25, 1992, which caused some injuries, Huston said. That quake occurred in roughly the same area offshore and triggered a small tsunami, followed by two strong aftershocks.]

“It was a monstrous one,” said Phil Burns, owner of Mity Nice Bakery Cafe Restaurant in Eureka, which suffered no major damage. “I’ve been through a lot of these and usually they’re sharp but this one was very wiggly; it was rolling in all directions.” 

Burns said it took his mother half an hour to be evacuated from the Bayshore Mall. 

William Bowman, 60, was at home in the south Eureka fishing village of King Salmon — about 10 miles from the epicenter — when the quake hit, shattering heirloom dishware and toppling a television.

“I hit the floor,” he said. “It was a long one. I thought the house was coming down.”

The shaking lasted about 10 seconds, snapping power lines and knocking out power throughout the isolated seaside community of about 750. When it stopped, people gathered in the street. Some were visibly panic-stricken. Others yelled, "You all right?" in the direction of neighbor’s homes.

The next sounds Bowman heard was that of engines revving as people began to stream out of the village on its only access road, racing toward what he described as “the closest higher ground, 150-foot high Bell Hill.”

Bowman and his wife, however, drove to their restaurant in the nearby community of Cutten. “We lost a few nice bottles of wine,” he said.

A newly installed tsunami warning system was not activated.

Some neighborhoods appeared to be calm. Eureka Mayor Virginia Bass said of her neighborhood, "I don't see smoke. I don't hear sirens all over the place. My phones are working and the power is on." 

6.5 earthquake reported off of Eureka, Calif. [Updated]

An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.5 occurred about 25 miles southwest of Eureka, Calif., at 4:27 p.m.

Preliminary reports indicate the earthquake, along the Russ fault, was felt as far away as San Francisco.

[Updated: 5 p.m.: Sandra Hall, owner of Antiques and Goodies in Eureka, said the quake moved her shop in all directions.

Her store is now littered with broken lamps, dishes, and wardrobe items. She said there were at least four people in her store when the quake struck.  A couple managed to run out of the store’s main entrance, while two women took cover under a table.   

“We’ve been through a lot of earthquakes but I can’t recall there ever being any this bad,” Hall said.]

[Updated, 5:06 p.m.: A tsunami is not expected, according to the National Weather Service. Power is out in at least one neighborhood in the Eureka area, a resident said. Two aftershocks have been detected, magnitude 3.8 and 3.7.]

-- Ruben Vives, Geoffrey Mohan and Rong-Gong Lin II

Map: USGS

4.1 earthquake rattles Bay Area, felt across parts of Northern California

A magnitude 4.1 earthquake rattled parts of the San Francisco Bay Area this morning and was felt across a large swath of Northern California.

The temblor struck about 11 miles north of downtown San Jose.

The quake was felt most strongly over a large section of the South Bay and East Bay, but there were no reports of major damage or injuries. It's not clear what fault the quake erupted on. 

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake hit at 10:09 a.m. The agency's "Did You Feel It" website said the quake was felt by people as far away as Carmel, Monterey, Salinas, Richmond, Mill Valley and Morgan Hill.

-- Shelby Grad

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Earthquake swarm continues at California-Mexico border

The California border continued to rattle with significant seismic activity five days after a 5.8 earthquake struck the region.

The most recent strong aftershocks from Wednesday's quake registered 4.0 and 3.1, among scores that have occurred south of the border in the last few days. Some of these quakes have been felt by residents in California and Mexico, but there have been no reports of injuries or damage.

The strongest aftershock was 4.8. Most have been centered in Mexico near Mexicali and the town of Guadalupe Victoria.

The border area is considered a seismically active region, but quake experts say the 5.8 temblor is the kind of quake seen about once a decade.

The 5.8 quake was felt over a wide section of the Southwest, including San Diego, Phoenix and Tijuana. It occurred at 10:48 a.m. about 20 miles southeast of Mexicali.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, residents across Imperial County, San Diego County, Orange County and even Los Angeles County reported feeling the temblor.

-- Shelby Grad

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Aftershocks continue after 5.8 border quake

Aftershocks continues this morning from the magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck the California-Mexico border.

There have been more than 12 aftershocks measuring above magnitude 3.0 in the area since Tuesday morning's quake. One was 4.8. Most were centered in Mexico near Mexicali and the town of Guadalupe Victoria.

The border area is considered a seismically active region, but quake experts said the 5.8 temblor is the kind of quake seen about once a decade.

Residents along the border reported intense shaking but no major damage or injuries from the main quake.

The city manager of Calexico, Calif., about 22 miles from the quake's epicenter, said there was some heavy shaking for 15 seconds. But he said things quickly got back to normal.

The quake was felt over a wide section of the Southwest, including San Diego, Phoenix and Tijuana. It occurred at 10:48 a.m about 23 miles south of Calexico and 20 miles from Mexicali.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, residents across Imperial County, San Diego County, Orange County and even Los Angeles County reported feeling the temblor.

In downtown San Diego, about 100 miles north of the epicenter, buildings swayed briefly, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.