Long Beach and a large swath of Southern California felt shaking shortly after 10 a.m. Monday when a significant 5.2 earthquake hit near San Diego.
The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the earthquake as a 6.0, but downgraded it to 5.2 shortly after it struck at 10:08 a.m. A ShakeAlert notice was sent to cell phones throughout much of Southern California.
The earthquake was centered in the city of Julian, just east of San Diego. The shaker was felt as far away as Orange County, West Los Angeles and Riverside County. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
A series of aftershocks quickly hit in the same general area, most less than 3.0 magnitude, but one registered magnitude 3.5 near Borrego Springs.
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 quake.
“The state is coordinating with local authorities to assess any damage and if emergency response is needed,” according to the governor’s office.
Seismologist and Southern California earthquake expert Lucy Jones said the quake appeared to have been felt “over a very large area.” She said given the size and depth of the quake, it was unlikely to cause any series damage “to a normal California building,” although it may have knocked some items off shelves.
“There shouldn’t be structural damage,” she said. “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 occurred.
Bessie Eberhardt of Fallbrook told City News Service the temblor was one of the stronger quakes 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 the two-story home.
It lasted as long as it took me to run downstairs and get to my mom, who was disappointed she slept through it,” Eberhardt said.