Advertisement
The epicenter of the earthquake was located about four miles southeast of Ojai, California, which is approximately 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles. It occurred shortly after 2:40 p.m. local time and was situated at a depth of around 9 miles, as reported by the USGS.
Following the initial earthquake, a series of aftershocks were recorded in the vicinity, some reaching magnitudes close to 4, according to the USGS. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center reassured that there was no anticipation of tsunamis resulting from this seismic activity.
Assessments were initiated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services in the aftermath of the earthquake. Fortunately, no significant problems like injuries or substantial damages were immediately reported.
Ventura County Fire Department Deputy Chief Chad Cook stated, “We are currently assessing all cities and counties.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office also stated that it was actively monitoring the situation in Ventura and Los Angeles, and advised residents to be ready for potential aftershocks.
‘Noticeably Intense’ Earthquake
During a live broadcast discussing the earthquake, seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones noted that this was the first time an earthquake of magnitude 5.0 or higher had been recorded in the area since 1941.
Frances Fitting, employed at a local department store, described the quake as “noticeably intense” and mentioned ongoing aftershocks. Fitting added that power was still on and most things remained undamaged.
Numerous parts of the Los Angeles area also experienced the vigorous shaking, prompting Southern Californians to share their astonishment on social media platforms.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shared on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that all 106 neighborhood fire stations were engaged in a systematic assessment. “Reports thus far indicate no significant initial findings of structural damage or injuries,” Bass assured.
Connection to Tropical Storm Hilary?
Curiously, the earthquake coincided with the arrival of a historic tropical storm in Southern California. Although Hilary has been reclassified from a hurricane to a tropical storm, authorities are cautioning about the potential for severe and life-threatening flooding across much of the southwestern United States.
According to geoscientists, the earthquake and the storm are unrelated. Daniel L. Swain, a climate scientist at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles, affirmed that the earthquake is coincidental and not linked to heavy rainfall in the Los Angeles area.
The USGS concurred, stating on their website that there is “no discernible pattern in California of significant, damaging earthquakes occurring more frequently during periods of heavy precipitation or drought.”
“Seismic activity is unlikely to be influenced by precipitation,” the agency added, “as rainwater cannot easily penetrate several kilometers beneath the earth’s surface to the depths where most earthquakes originate.”
