Topline
An earthquake rattled parts of Southern California—including the Los Angeles metropolitan area—on Tuesday night, followed by a series of smaller aftershocks, although no major damage has been reported.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook parts of Southern California on Tuesday night.
Key Facts
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter of the magnitude 5.2 earthquake was located around 18 miles southwest of Bakersfield and roughly 90 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
The temblor struck around 9:10 p.m. PT and was followed by dozens of aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 and lower in the following minutes.
The Los Angeles Fire Department activated its “earthquake mode” under which personnel from all its 106 fire stations would conduct a “strategic survey” examining critical infrastructure.
The LA Metro said its trains will be running slower according to its earthquake procedure, to check for any damage.
An hour after the LAFD began its assessment, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said it had reported “no damages or injuries in the City of Los Angeles.”
There were no immediate reports of major damage in other regions and the USGS’s forecast indicated the quake’s impact will likely be minimal.
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Tangent
According to the Los Angeles Times, a large SUV-sized boulder was reported to be blocking several lanes of the Interstate 5 highway just minutes after the earthquake.
Big Number
5%. That is the probability of a mild earthquake being a foreshock for a larger quake that will follow within a week, according to the USGS. The agency’s forecast for Tuesday night’s quake shows there is a less than 7% chance of an aftershock above magnitude 5 and a less than 1% chance of one higher than magnitude 6.
Further Reading
38 aftershocks follow swarm of earthquakes in Southern California (ABC 10)
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