A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck Southern California on Monday afternoon, with its epicentre located approximately 3 miles from South Pasadena, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The tremor, initially reported as a magnitude 4.6, was later downgraded. It occurred at a shallow depth of 7.5 miles (12.1 km) below the surface, impacting the highly populated Highland Park neighbourhood in East Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Police Department has advised residents to be on alert for potential aftershocks. The earthquake was strongly felt across the Los Angeles area, with reports of shaking from San Diego in the south to the Palm Springs desert region to the east. There were also a few reports from the southern San Joaquin Valley, about 100 miles northwest of LA.
Significant earthquake just felt in the Los Angeles area. Reminder, please use 911 only for emergencies. Be prepared for aftershocks.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) August 12, 2024
Residents reported that the quake caused medical buildings to shake and rattled glasses and dishes in many homes. Live sports and news broadcasts captured commentators visibly affected by the shaking.
LA native. First time I’ve genuinely been scared by an earthquake pic.twitter.com/A1zhDjCZuC
— Allie Goertz (@AllieGoertz) August 12, 2024
The earthquake occurred on the first day of the school year for the Los Angeles Unified School District. John Marshall High School in Los Feliz informed parents that they had evacuated the buildings to check for damage but found none immediately.
This event follows a 5.2 magnitude earthquake in Southern California just a week prior, which was also widely felt but caused no injuries or significant damage. The National Weather Service has confirmed that no tsunami is expected from this earthquake.
