Skip to main content
Donate

Early Morning Earthquake Gets Los Angeles Out of Bed

By City News Service
March 16, 2014
Support Provided By
Map of earthquake epicenter (colored red) northwest of Westwood, Los Angeles, CA | Photo: Courtesy USGS

An earthquake with an epicenter in the Santa Monica Mountains struck Los Angeles at about 6:25 a.m. today, authorities said. The U.S. Geological Survey listed the epicenter as 6 miles northwest of the city's Westwood neighborhood.

Initial reports by the USGS said the temblor was a magnitude 4.7, but that number quickly was downgraded to 4.4.

The jolt was felt in downtown Los Angeles and in Beverly Hills, and as far away as Palmdale and Camarillo.

"We've had a couple of aftershocks greater than magnitude 1.5," USGS seismologist Robert Graves told reporters about an hour after the quake was reported. "The most recent was at 7:23 (a.m.). We had a magnitude 2.7, which would cause very minor shaking, probably felt in the epicentral region.

"We're continuing to analyze the data, but at this point, this seems to be what I would call a rather typical earthquake of moderate magnitude," Graves said. "We don't expect there will be much damage."

Graves said the quake was a "reminder that we live in earthquake country" and emphasized the importance of residents devising an earthquake plan that includes emergency sources of food and water.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, according to the Los Angeles city and county fire departments. No schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District's jurisdiction reported damage, according to school police.

All Metro rail lines were delayed for a time as crews inspected tracks for possible damage from the earthquake, but now service has been restored, according to Metro officials.

Los Angeles International Airport is operating normally, with no damage reported from this morning's earthquake, airport police said.

The California Highway Patrol reported no damage to Los Angeles-area roadways from this morning's earthquake.

Officials at UCLA say the campus in Westwood has not suffered any damage from this morning's earthquake.

According to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi, the quake was felt in parts of Orange County, but he said there have been no reports of damage or injuries.

Updated story (the original headline of this story indicated the earthquake was magnitude 4.7). Written with KCET staff.

Support Provided By
Read More
Gray industrial towers and stacks rise up from behind the pitched roofs of warehouse buildings against a gray-blue sky, with a row of yellow-gold barrels with black lids lined up in the foreground to the right of a portable toilet.

California Isn't on Track To Meet Its Climate Change Mandates. It's Not Even Close.

According to the annual California Green Innovation Index released by Next 10 last week, California is off track from meeting its climate goals for the year 2030, as well as reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.
By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters
A row of cows stands in individual cages along a line of light-colored enclosures, placed along a dirt path under a blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds.

A Battle Is Underway Over California’s Lucrative Dairy Biogas Market

California is considering changes to a program that has incentivized dairy biogas, to transform methane emissions into a source of natural gas. Neighbors are pushing for an end to the subsidies because of its impact on air quality and possible water pollution.
By Emma Foehringer Merchant, Inside Climate News
A Black woman with long, black brains wears a black Chicago Bulls windbreaker jacket with red and white stripes as she stands at the top of a short staircase in a housing complex and rests her left hand on the metal railing. She smiles slightly while looking directly at the camera.

Los Angeles County Is Testing AI's Ability To Prevent Homelessness

In order to prevent people from becoming homeless before it happens, Los Angeles County officials are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to predict who in the county is most likely to lose their housing. They would then step in to help those people with their rent, utility bills, car payments and more so they don't become unhoused.
By Marisa Kendall, CalMatters