The Region : Sharp Quake Rocks Santa Barbara Area

A sharp earthquake shook buildings in Santa Barbara “like an explosion,” but authorities said no major damage or injuries were reported from the quake and several aftershocks. The temblor, which measured 4.4 on the Richter scale, was centered in the Santa Barbara Channel 10 miles southwest of Santa Barbara, said Dennis Meredith, a spokesman for the seismology lab at Caltech in Pasadena. He said there were several minor aftershocks. Oil workers on offshore platforms felt the quake as a bump, but residents and office workers in Santa Barbara gave varying accounts. Some said it lasted 10 seconds while others gave the duration as more than a minute. “It felt like an explosion,” a police spokeswoman said. “Our windows shook but none of them broke.” Santa Barbara Fire Department spokesman Pete Ramsdell said two residents reported natural gas leaks, caused when the quake jarred lines loose.