A medium-sized 4.2-magnitude earthquake rattled parts of Southern California early Friday morning. The shaking was felt across Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, jolting people awake but luckily causing no major damage or injuries.
The quake struck at 10:39am and was centered near the tiny town of Lytle Creek, about 60 miles east of downtown LA. While Lytle Creek is a fairly remote mountain community, the shaking could be felt far and wide according to residents’ reports on social media.
“It started slowly and then really shook everything up for a few seconds. The chandelier in our dining room was swaying pretty good!” said Lisa Brown of Winnetka, in the San Fernando Valley.
Other Valley residents described feeling a quick but intense jolt and rattling, while those closer to the epicenter around San Bernardino said it felt like a truck slamming into their homes. Down in Long Beach, about 60 miles southwest, people reported feeling light vibration.
While it gave locals a good scare, the quake fortunately seems to have done minimal damage. Still, it served as an important earthquake preparedness wake-up call according to resident Lucy Jones – the renowned local expert nicknamed “Earthquake Lady.
“This quake was centered right near the junction of the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault lines, a hotspot for seismic activity,” Jones explained. While a 4.2 quake isn’t huge, it reminds us we live in earthquake country and need to be prepared.
Jones recommends securing heavy furniture and appliances, having at least 3 days of emergency supplies, and practicing “drop, cover, and hold on”. This area has history – a 1970 quake knocked a radio station offline and caused mudslides nearby. And the deadly 1971 Sylmar quake struck just 5 months later.
So while we dodged a bullet this time, this latest quake is an important reminder. Be prepared, have a plan, and know what to do when that big one eventually hits!
