This morning, Friday January 5, at 10:55 a.m. Pacific Time, a magnitude 4.1 earthquake was reported by the U.S. Geological Survey with an epicenter three miles from San Bernardino at a depth of 5.6 miles.
The earthquake occurred in Lytle Creek, in the San Gabriel Mountains, within San Bernardino County and about 16 miles northwest of downtown San Bernardino and 10 miles from the cities of Fontana and Rialto.
According to Dr Lucy Jones, a California seismology specialist, this location is where the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults come together. In 1970, there was a magnitude 5.2 with a magnitude 4.0 foreshock in close to the same location.
The San Bernardino County Fire Department said on social media that there were no immediate reports of damage or calls for service. And thankfully, there were no reported aftershocks.
This is the second quake with a magnitude of greater than 4.0 in less than five days to be felt in Santa Monica. On Monday, while residents were trying to sleep off their New Year’s hangovers, a magnitude 4.1 occurred at 8:27 a.m Pacific Time.
The epicenter was about 11 miles southeast of Rancho Palos Verdes, 10 miles southwest of San Pedro, 16 miles northwest of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island and 16 miles southwest of downtown Long Beach.
This month also marks the 30th anniversary of the Northridge quake that devastated much of Los Angeles City on January 17, 1994. This magnitude 6.7 event produced extremely strong ground shaking, causing the greatest earthquake damage in the US since the 1906 San Francisco event and resulting in over 70 fatalities.
There are a lot of guidelines that everyone in California is advised to follow in the event of a much larger tremor, not just residents of Santa Monica. In addition to the standard Drop, Cover and Hold On drill, there are a number of procedures that should be followed after the tremors have subsided.
A detailed list can be found on the Earthquake Country Alliance website, but among the most important are shutting off the gas mains, shutting off electricity at the main breaker switch, locate a fire extinguisher and first aid kit if possible, let people know you’re OK and check on others.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
