Earthquake Shakes Los Angeles

09:23 • 29.03.14

A 5.1 earthquake centered at LaHabra near Los Angeles rolled Southern California Friday evening, the USA Today reported.

The strong earthquake was felt widely across the region shortly after 9 p.m. PT. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered near Brea in Orange County — about 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

It was followed by a series of smaller aftershocks over the next 45 minutes. The 5.1 quake was preceded by a 3.6 quake an hour earlier.

The larger quake rattled bookshelves across the region, and police and fire officials said they were looking for any damage.

A broken water main in Fullerton, not far from the center of the quake, was attributed to the temblor, the Orange County Register reported in a tweet.

Los Angeles Department of Public Works said it was sending crews to check dams, bridges and other infrastructure for damage.

Callers to KNX-AM reported seeing a brick wall collapse, water sloshing in a swimming pool, and wires and trees swaying back and forth.

The Los Angeles Fire Department says it is also looking for signs of damage or injuries.

Friday's quake hit a week after a pre-dawn magnitude-4.4 quake centered in the San Fernando Valley rattled a swath of Southern California. That jolt shook buildings and rattled nerves, but did not cause significant damage.

Southern California has not experienced a damaging earthquake since the 1994 magnitude-6.7 Northridge quake killed several dozen people and caused $25 billion in damage.