Magnitude 4.6 earthquake hits near Malibu
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck about 8 miles northwest of Malibu on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The earthquake was reported at 1:47 p.m., the USGS website said. It occurred at a geological depth of 13.9 kilometers, or nearly 9 miles.
The USGS is reporting at least a dozen aftershocks, with the largest measuring at a magnitude of 3.0.
It was followed by at least three aftershocks, which occurred at magnitudes of 3.0, 2.7 and 2.6, the USGS noted.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that there is no threat of a tsunami.
People reported feeling the shake as far as the southern Inland Empire via the website's "Felt Report," which allows users to report when they feel a specific earthquake.
No injuries or considerable damage have yet been reported.
The local earthquake came just hours after a larger 5.7 magnitude shaker hit near the Big Island of Hawaii. Earthquake expert and seismologist Lucy Jones said the quake was not connected to that earlier quake in Hawaii or the recent rains that soaked Southern California.
"Every earthquake in California has about a five percent chance of being followed by something bigger in the next couple of days," Jones added.
Jones said if there was a big earthquake to drop, cover, and hold on when it is shaking. She advises to stock up on earthquake supplies ahead of time, such as water and food.
Los Angeles County Fire Department and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department's Malibu officials quickly indicated there were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage. The Los Angeles City Fire Department went into "earthquake mode," in which crews fan out to survey the entire city, and the agency ultimately reported "no significant damage" and "no serious injuries."
The LAFD's post-quake survey includes checks of transportation infrastructure such as freeway overpasses, large places of assemblage and apartment buildings, dams and power lines.
