A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck a densely populated area of Los Angeles County on Monday, causing buildings to shake and leaving residents feeling anxious throughout Southern California.
Although there were no major reports of damage or injuries, the tremors were felt from San Diego County to Simi Valley, and as far out as Victorville and Redlands, as indicated by a U.S. Geological Survey map.
Residents near the epicenter shared videos capturing the sudden jolt, which prompted screams and sent pets scurrying for safety.
Kyle Shearer, a Highland Park resident, described the experience: “It was very, very scary. It’s not my first, but it’s probably the scariest I’ve had in a long time.”
The earthquake occurred at approximately 12:20 p.m. at a depth of nearly six miles, with its epicenter in Highland Park. Initially registered as a magnitude 4.7, it was later downgraded.
Christine Chandler, a professor at Martha Fuerst School of Nursing in Glendale, recounted the event: “It was a jolt, and then the building just started to shake violently. It wasn’t like the gentle rolling we usually experience. I had to hold on to the door jamb.”
In response to the quake, Los Angeles County and city fire departments activated emergency protocols to assess the area for damage, focusing on infrastructure. The Los Angeles city fire department ended its earthquake mode at 1:15 p.m. after finding no significant damage.
However, some minor issues were reported in Pasadena, located just a few miles from the quake’s epicenter. A broken pipe at Pasadena City Hall led to water flowing onto the sidewalk, resulting in the evacuation of approximately 200 employees from the building.
Pasadena Fire Department Deputy Chief Anthony James explained that the leak occurred due to a broken sprinkler head in the city hall rotunda, and firefighters managed to shut off the water supply. One individual was briefly trapped in an elevator but was quickly rescued by emergency services.
Authorities also responded to reports of a potential gas line break but had not yet confirmed if it was related to the earthquake.
James described his experience during the quake: “I was out driving and parked next to a bus. It felt like the whole ground was shifting beneath me. I thought, ‘What was that?’ and quickly figured it out.”
The fire department quickly mobilized, sending teams to survey the community for further damage, but found no major issues.
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones provided insights into the fault system associated with the earthquake’s epicenter. She explained, “This area has a network of buried faults, so it’s not something that shows up on the surface. The same network was involved in the 1987 Whittier Narrows quake, but due to its complexity and depth, we can never definitively determine if it’s the same strand.”