An earthquake with an initial magnitude of 4.6 on Friday shook the Los Angeles area, which has been battered by a series of winter storms since last week.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was about 7 miles northwest of Malibu, in a mountainous area near the northern coastline of Los Angeles County.
USGS said that the incident happened at 13:47 local time.
According to the USGS, the 4.6-magnitude earthquake was followed by at least two aftershocks of magnitude 2.7 and 3.0.
Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Fred Fielding told NBC Los Angeles that an earthquake of this magnitude would “only cause minor damage.”
Los Angeles Fire Department X informed about this on the social media platform residents should check their residences and neighbors.
“After you’ve inspected your home for #earthquake damage and are sure you’re uninjured, please check on your pets and at-risk neighbors, especially seniors who live alone,” he said.
LAFD spokesman Eric Scott told NBC Los Angeles that so far “there has been no major damage.”
Ventura County Fire Department X account The department said it was “fully operational and there were no injuries.”
The US Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat of waves from the earthquake.
Despite its mild nature, up to 12 million people could have felt the quake, Caltech geophysics researcher Allen Husker told NBC Los Angeles, citing USGS data.
There are numerous faults in the area where the earthquake occurred, including the Malibu Coast Fault, which runs east from the area near Point Dume toward the city of Santa Monica.
Lucy Jones, a former USGS seismologist who founded the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society, said that over time, an earthquake is a precursor to the rapid decline of something larger.
But he told NBC Los Angeles that now is a good time to remind Californians to prepare for something bigger. His top recommendation is to have drinking and potable water on hand, as a major earthquake could disrupt water supplies.
“The most important thing you can do is make sure water is stored,” he said.
The district was beaten by one side a trio of storms since last weekIt brought historic amounts of rain and flooding to areas from Ventura County to the US-Mexico border.
Friday’s quake came on the same date as one of the region’s most destructive earthquakes, the 1971 magnitude 6.6 Sylmar earthquake, named for LA’s northernmost neighborhood. The USGS said it was blamed for 64 deaths and more than $500 million in damage.
Michelle Acevedo contributed.