Community Corner

Earthquake Rattles SoCal: Did You Feel It?

An earthquake struck with an epicenter near Corona at midday Wednesday.

A 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck Wednesday, rattling a wide swath of Southern California.
A 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck Wednesday, rattling a wide swath of Southern California. (Shutterstock)

CORONA, CA— A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck with an epicenter near Corona in Riverside County on Wednesday afternoon, according to a preliminary report by the United States Geological Survey.

The temblor was reported at 1:49 p.m.

The quake rattled residents across the Southland, from Riverside County to Orange County and as far away as Los Angeles County, according to initial reports. The magnitude was initially reported as 4.5 but was quickly downgraded.

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The earthquake was centered 5.6 miles southwest of Corona.

The widespread shaking prompted the Los Angeles Fire Department to go into "earthquake mode," in which personnel at all 106 of its stations immediately begin a survey of their coverage area in search of possible damage. The process generally takes about an hour to complete, according to the LAFD.

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No injuries were immediately reported as a result of the quake

Several smaller quakes occurred in the same area on Tuesday, including a pair of 2.8-magnitude quakes between roughly 7:30 and 7:40 p.m., and a magnitude 2.5 shaker that struck at about 2 p.m.

As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, there were no aftershocks.

"Aftershocks may be expected in the next few days, the largest expected is approximately 1 magnitude unit smaller than the mainshock," according to preliminary data by the Southern California Seismic Network, a co-op between Caltech and the USGS. "There is a small chance (about 5 percent) that a larger quake could occur, with the likelihood decreasing over time."

According to the seismic network, there were 11 small quakes during the 3 days prior. Authorities believe the quake was most likely triggered by the Whittier fault. The last time the Corona area experienced a quake that large was in 2012.

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Did you feel it?
City News service contributed to this report.


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