Dramatic photos show earthquake shaking cliffs at Santa Cruz Island
The 5.3 magnitude off the coast of Southern California didn’t do damage on the mainland, but it appears have caused some earth movement on Santa Cruz Island.
The Ventura County Fire Department posted photos of the earth moving on coastal cliffs. The epicenter of the quake was just west of Santa Cruz, one of the channel islands off Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
A video also showed the quake rattling an eagle’s nest on the island, causing one eagle to temporarily fly away from its chicks before returning.
The quake was the strongest in Southern California in several years, jangling some nerves but causing no major damage because it occurred offshore in the Pacific Ocean and not on land.
“A 5.3 could be damaging if it was right under our feet,” said John Vidale, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center at USC. “It’s right on the edge of being an earthquake that could be dangerous. It’s a reminder that we need to be ready in the future.”
The temblor occurred just before 12:30 p.m. and was centered south of Santa Cruz Island. It was felt as far away as Bakersfield, Palmdale and the city of Orange, according to witnesses and the U.S. Geological Survey.
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