Southern California Shaken by Magnitude-4.2 Earthquake

A widespread tremor rattled Southern California as a magnitude-4.2 earthquake struck the mountains east of Los Angeles, centered in the San Bernardino County’s Lytle Creek. Initially reported as a magnitude-4.6 quake, it was later downgraded. The epicenter, situated about 60 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, caused shaking in various areas, including the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange County.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries following the quake, which occurred near the convergence of the San Andreas and San Jacinto earthquake faults. The Lytle Creek community, within the San Gabriel Mountains, experienced the quake’s intensity.

The region, historically seismic, faced a similar event in 1970 when a magnitude-5.2 earthquake, with a preceding magnitude-4.1 foreshock, led to disruptions such as a radio station outage and triggered mudslides and rockfalls blocking roads. This seismic activity preceded the significant magnitude-6.5 San Fernando Earthquake (Sylmar Earthquake) five months later.

In a recent occurrence, a magnitude-4.2 earthquake centered near Lytle Creek was felt widely across Southern California, causing minor disturbances and reports of shaking off shelves in the epicenter area. The quake’s epicenter was approximately one mile northwest of Lytle Creek, located in the San Gabriel Mountains, 45 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The event occurred at a depth of 5.5 miles and comes less than a week after a similar magnitude-4.1 quake in the Los Angeles area during the Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day.

Reports from the Lytle Creek Ranger Station and local businesses mentioned intense shaking and fallen rocks, resulting in minimal damage. The seismic activity took place in Cajon Pass, where the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults converge, adding to the region’s historical seismic significance. The quake left a slight rocking sensation in downtown Los Angeles and was felt across several surrounding counties and cities, highlighting the ongoing seismic activity in Southern California.