A 4.6-magnitude earthquake that originated near Malibu rattled Long Beach at 1:47 p.m. Friday.
No damage or injuries had been reported as of 2:17 p.m., but the city’s public safety teams were working to assess local facilities as a precautionary measure.
The temblor epicentered 7 miles outside of Malibu near the coast at a depth of 13 kilometers, according to USGS.
The quake was initially reported as a 4.7-magnitude, then a 4.5 but is now listed as a 4.6, according to the United States Geological Survey. Several, small aftershocks were also felt, according to the USGS.
The earthquake occurred less than two hours after a 5.7 magnitude quake struck Hawaii, according to USGS reports.
Los Angeles County Fire Department and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Malibu officials quickly indicated there were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage.
The Los Angeles City Fire Department went into “earthquake mode,” in which crews fan out to survey the entire city, but initial indications were no reports of damage. The LAFD’s procedure following a quake is to check transportation infrastructures such as freeway overpasses, large places of assemblage and apartment buildings, dams and power-lines.
The LAFD’s complete survey generally take about an hour to complete.
The temblor was felt as a sharp jolt across a wide swath of the Southland, from Malibu to the west side and beyond, as well as in Orange County. According to the USGS “Did You Feel It?” map online, some people as far north as Bakersfield and as far south as Chula Vista near the Mexico border reported feeling the shaking.
Some residents reported that it was felt for between five and eight seconds.
According to the USGS, the quake occurred at a depth of about eight miles.
Shortly afterward, the Los Angeles County Fire Department warned area residents to prepare for possible aftershocks.
“If Inside When Shaking Starts: DROP, COVER, HOLD ON!” the fire department posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“Protect Your Head + Neck While Taking Cover Under Sturdy Furniture or Near a Sturdy Interior Wall, Away From Windows and Doorways Until Shaking Stops.”
The USGS reported more than a dozen aftershocks, with the largest measured at a magnitude of 3.0.
Southland earthquake expert Lucy Jones said the quake was not tied to the recent torrential rains that soaked the area, noting that it occurred at a depth of more than 8 miles. She also said the temblor was not related in any way to a 5.7-magnitude quake that occurred earlier in the day in Hawaii.
Jones said residents should anticipate after-shocks occurring throughout the day. She also noted that as with any quake, there is always a roughly 5% chance that a temblor could be a fore-shock of a larger quake, but the chances decrease as time goes on.
She said a 4.6 earthquake wouldn’t necessarily cause any major damage, calling it a “run of the mill” shaker for “earthquake country.”
Friday’s shaker occurred on the 53rd anniversary of the Sylmar quake, which struck Feb. 9, 1971, with a magnitude of 6.5.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with reporting from City News Service.