Earthquake Rocks Hollywood

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake has struck just east of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Officials say there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The epicenter was 3 miles west-southwest of Chino Hills and 28 miles east-southeast of the Los Angeles Civic Center, which is in downtown Los Angeles, the USGS reports.

The epicenter was about 8.5 miles deep. In general, earthquakes closer to the surface produce stronger shaking and can cause more damage than those farther underground.

It was felt from Los Angeles to San Diego and across the border in Tijuana, Mexico.

The quake struck at 11:42 a.m. (2:42 p.m. ET), according to the USGS. Kate Hutton, a staff seismologist at Caltech, said 11 aftershocks followed, with 3.8 being the largest and the only one felt, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The quake’s magnitude classification fluctuated as seismologists reviewed the data. Initially classified as a magnitude 5.8, the quake’s intensity was reduced to a 5.6 and then to a 5.4.

Because the earthquake magnitude scale is exponential, a 5.8 magnitude quake is four to five times more intense than a 5.4.

A 5.4 magnitude quake is considered by the USGS to be “moderate,” which can cause slight damage to buildings and others structures. About 500 can happen globally each year, the survey says.

There were no immediate reports of injury or damage in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey told The Associated Press. San Bernardino County fire dispatch did not have reports of damage, AP said.

According to the USGS archives, it’s the biggest California earthquake since September 28, 2004, when a 6.0 quake was recorded south of Parkfield, which is about 70 miles northwest of Bakersfield.

source: [cnn]

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Earthquake Rocks Hollywood

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