BOLT FROM THE BLUE
Big earthquake hits Los Angeles near Pasadena as Californians label 4.7 magnitude tremor ‘biggest jolt I’ve ever felt’
The earthquake was so strong that the shockwaves were visible on two TV shows
A BIG earthquake has rocked Southern California, with residents of Los Angeles and other cities feeling the tremors.
The quake, which was initially rated a 4.7, struck around 12:22 pm Pacific time on Monday about three miles south of the Highland Park area, causing many buildings in the area to shake.
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Califonia is no stranger to earthquakes as thousands shake the state several times a year, reports the US Geological Survey.
While many citizens are used to the shaking, Monday's quake was reported to be at a higher magnitude than usual at 4.7, according to CW affiliate KTLA.
Most quakes that rock California are usually minor.
Several hundred reach a magnitude of 3.0, while only about 15 to 20 reach 4.0 on the Richter Scale, per the USGS.
Shortly after the seismic event, the Los Angeles Police Department sent out a post urging residents to "be prepared for aftershocks."
Authorities later downgraded the quake to a 4.4 magnitude.
The force of the quake was so strong that the tremor was visible during a taping of an ESPN show.
"4.7 magnitude earthquake felt live on the @TravisRodgers and @AllenSliwa show. We still feel like we're shaking," ESPN Los Angeles posted on X, showing a live reaction from the on-air anchors.
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ESPN host Malika Andrews was forced to halt her show as well when the tremors rocked the studio.
Andrews, who was in the middle of a remote interview with ESPN basketball analyst Rebecca Lobo, kept her cool.
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"We have a bit of an earthquake here in Los Angeles," she said to the audience.
"So we're just going to make sure our studio lights and everything stays safe."
Andrews then checked in with her camera operator to make sure everything was okay.
Elsewhere, other people were losing their minds over the quake.
The Big One theory
Many California residents have said that they are waiting for the big tsunami that will wipe out all life and plunge the West Coast under water.
Scientists have issued. warning that thousands of people could die if a predicted 9.0 earthquake were to trigger a tsunami.
The predicted quake would end up plunging Nothern California, Oregon, and Washington under 10 feet of water in matter of minutes.
According to researchers, the chances that the seismic event could occur within half a century are one in nine.
The New York Times reported that the likelihood of a smaller but still powerful quake happening along the Cascadia Rift is one in three.
The Cascadia Subduction Zone is a “megathrust” fault located roughly 70 miles offshore and runs from California to British Columbia.
It runs more for than 600 miles, parallel to the US Pacific Coast.
"That was def a gnarly earthquake - short but intense," someone posted on X.
"Prob the biggest jolt I’ve ever felt."
One resident revealed on social media that they became aware of the earthquake after their ironing board fell over.
According to the resident, this was the first time she had "felt one that rough."
Almost a week ago, California was rocked by a 5.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Bakersfield, California, at around 9:09 pm.
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The USGS initially logged the quake as a 5.7 before downgrading it.
The quake sent an incredible 31 shockwaves across Southern California which were felt by residents in Hollywood, Santa Monica, Woodland Hills, and Camarillo.
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