L.A. earthquake: Shaking, jolted nerves reported across wide area
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck near Westwood provided an early morning jolt for Greater Los Angeles, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The quake struck at 6:25 a.m. at a depth of 5.3 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake was centered near the intersection of Mulholland Drive and the 405 Freeway.
A shallow magnitude 2.7 earthquake followed up at 7:23 a.m. four miles from Westwood, according to the USGS. That quake was reported at a depth of 4.3 miles.
LIVE BLOG: 4.4 earthquake strikes Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Fire Department was in “earthquake emergency mode” as crews surveyed the city by air and on the ground, but public safety officials across the region said there did not appear to be any significant damage.
“We did our initial survey and it was felt only. No reports of any damage,” said L.A. County Fire Supervisor Michael Pittman.
Joe Ramallo of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said that as of 6:45 a.m. there were no reports of water main breaks or power outages immediately following the earthquake. But he said crews are conducting routine safety checks after the quake to ensure their durability.
Metro light rail service, meanwhile, had resumed normal service shortly after 7 a.m. after a system-wide inspection found no damage.
Stacey Dirks, the 25-year-old assistant manager at Noah’s New York Bagels in Westwood, was at work at the time and said “it just felt like a sudden shake, it was just like rapid and quick.”
No bagels fell off the shelves and “everything stayed in place,” Dirks said.
Olga Rosas was sitting up in her bed at her Valley Village home when her boyfriend called her on her cellphone.
Then the shaking started.
“It was a horrible feeling,” she said.
The quake also woke her son up.
“He freaked out,” she said.
Rosas and her son moved from Florida two months ago and had just settled into the apartment. After the shaking stopped, Rosas said she ran outside, but noticed no one else was out.
“I can’t believe it, I go outside and all these people are still sleeping,” she said with a chuckle. “I guess people here are used to it.”
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