Southeast L.A. Is Rattled by 3.8 Earthquake
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake, the strongest of five temblors above 3.0 to occur in the last month on the southeast side of Los Angeles, struck at 5:55 a.m. Tuesday.
Caltech seismologists said the Tuesday quake was centered three miles southeast of Los Angeles Civic Center. But their intensity maps indicated the heaviest shaking took place near the intersection of the Century and Harbor freeways, several miles to the south of the epicenter.
No damage or injuries were reported in the quake, which was followed by a 2.7 aftershock at 7:35 a.m. However, thousands of residents from Glendale and West Hollywood to northern Orange County were awakened by the 3.8 jolt.
Seismologists said Tuesday that there have been about 45 quakes centered in a cluster on the southeast side of downtown Los Angeles since the series began with a 3.4 quake on May 30.
Clusters of quakes similar to these are common in California and usually taper off in time. However, scientists caution that about one in 20 California earthquakes are foreshocks followed by a larger quake.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
