3:45pm | A few hours after an earthquake struck a few miles beneath the earth in Long Beach, the United States Geographical Survey has changed the magnitude from a 3.8 to a 3.7. The USGS classifies earthquakes of this size as “Light.”
The approximate epicenter of the tremor has also been changed, from Park Estates near the traffic circle at Anaheim & P.C.H. to the Rose Park area near Obispo & E. 10th Street, just west of Redondo Avenue.
A map (above) on the USGS website indicates that the probability of a Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) IV – or strong shaking aftershock “the level of shaking that throws objects off shelves” – has increased in the next 24 hours. Blue/green indicates low probability and yellow/orange indicates greater probability.
We’ve all grown accustomed to these jolts, perhaps a little too comfortably, living in Southern California. Judging from the comments below and several tweets and e-mails sent to the Long Beach Post, it seems like residents generally had a little scare and then went back about their day. The Fire Department and Port of Long Beach have both said there are no reports of damage. The quake was felt as far away as Anaheim.
The quake even made the headlines of the Huffington Post (though they called Long Beach “the port city.” Ugh).
Google Maps image of the earthquake epicenter courtesy of the USGS.
9:23am | A 3.8-magnitude earthquake centered just two miles southeast of Long Beach struck this morning at 9:06am, according to the United States Geological Survey. Click here for more information from the USGS.
No damage has been reported, according to spokesmen for the Long Beach Fire Department.
We will update this story as it develops.