LOS ANGELES — A strong quake that rattled Borrego Springs Wednesday could be felt across the Southland.
A 5.4-magnitude earthquake struck near Borrego Springs at 4:53 p.m. Wednesday. The estimate was preliminary, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was initially estimated to measure 5.9 on the Richter Scale, but was downgraded after USGS review.
The quake reportedly struck about 15 miles north-northwest of the city of Borrego Springs, or about 30 miles south of Palm Springs, according to the USGS. The temblor occurred about 7.3 miles deep. Borrego Springs earthquake 2010 is thought to have occurred on the San Jacinto Fault.
A 3.6-magnitude aftershock followed the initial quake. The aftershock was located approximately 6 miles northwest of Anza, Calif. A 3.4 aftershock could be felt at 7:35 p.m. originating from the same area.
“There have been maybe a couple dozen aftershocks, so far, to this quake, which is typical of that area for a 5.4,” said Caltech seismologist Kate Hutton.
No injuries or major damages were reported.
Emergency personnel, including police and firefighting agencies, were immediately called into “earthquake mode.”
L.A.-area residents reported the shaking as long, rolling and wave-like.
“The duration of the shaking depends a lot on where you are and what type of structure you’re in, so it’s really hard to give a single number [of minutes the quake lasted],” said Hutton. “Probably it took the fault only about four or five seconds to break, but by the time the waves reverberate, where they start a building shaking and it continues to shake, for example, then people might perceive that it lasted longer than that.”
Los Angeles International Airport issued a statement at approximately 5 p.m.: “Operations at Los Angeles International Airport are running normally following a small earthquake this afternoon. As always passengers are asked to contact their airlines for the latest information regarding the status of their flights.”
Disneyland rides were temporarily suspended while they were inspected by officials to ensure no damage occurred.