Underwater Quake Rattles Coastal Area
An underwater earthquake measuring magnitude 4.9 and centered about 49 miles southeast of San Clemente Island rattled coastal cities including San Diego and Oceanside about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury.
The quake was not large enough to generate a tsunami, and no warning was issued, said Nick Scheckel, a seismic analyst at Caltech Seismological Laboratory.
A quake of that magnitude is not unusual for this offshore area, he said.
Some residents on San Clemente and Catalina islands also reported feeling weak shaking.
Rhiannon Nielsen, a Navy police officer stationed on San Clemente Island, said there were no reports of damage associated with the quake. “I didn’t even feel it,” she said.
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