CNN
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A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck near Lamont, California, on Tuesday evening, shaking much of Southern California, including Los Angeles.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the earthquake’s epicenter was about 15 miles southwest of Lamont — and about 25 miles south of Bakersfield — at around 9:09 p.m. PT. The survey had previously rated the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.3, but later downgraded it to 5.2.
According to the agency’s tracker, people from Fresno to Temecula in the south reported feeling the jolt.
About 100 miles southeast of the epicenter in Los Angeles, no significant damage to infrastructure or injuries were reported, according to the city’s fire department. The fire department dispatched personnel from its fire stations to determine whether the area was affected.
The US Geological Survey estimated the likelihood of casualties or damage from the quake to be low.
According to seismologist Lucy Jones of the California Institute of Technology, about 60 smaller quakes with a magnitude of up to 4.5 were recorded in the following hour.
Jones described the magnitude 5.2 earthquake as “robust,” saying, “Most (magnitude 5) earthquakes would have fewer aftershocks than this one.”
“Recently, the last few decades have been pretty quiet,” Jones said, adding, “Southern California has had seven earthquakes (magnitude 5) in the last decade. But the long-term average is more like a few per year.”
But Jones warned that Tuesday’s earthquakes should serve as a reminder that people should be prepared for larger – and potentially more dangerous – quakes.
“One of the myths is that small earthquakes release energy and make large earthquakes less likely, but that’s not true,” Jones said. “So I think it’s a good time to remind people that California is an earthquake zone in the long term. And in the long term, we should expect more earthquakes than we’ve seen in the last 20 years.”
Jones stressed that while it is impossible to predict exactly when a major earthquake will occur, it is inevitable.
“The probability of a major earthquake is 100 percent. Just give us enough time,” she said.
According to the Earthquake Country Alliance, residents of earthquake-prone areas can prepare by identifying potential fall hazards in their home, creating an emergency plan and considering insurance coverage, among other things.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
