5.1 Quake Rattles California

No major injuries or damage reported in Los Angeles area
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 29, 2014 5:25 AM CDT
5.1 Quake Rattles California
A man picks up fallen goods at a CVS store in La Mirada, Calif.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Southern California got a scare last night in the form of a magnitude-5.1 earthquake that struck near Los Angeles. No major damage or injuries were reported, though water main breaks, power outages, toppled store shelves, and shattered glass were seen throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties, reports AP and NBC Los Angeles. Maybe the most dramatic image came from Brea, where the quake triggered a rock slide that overturned a car. All escaped with only minor injuries. The US Geological Service says the quake struck about 9:09pm local time and was centered near Brea, about 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It was relatively shallow, at 5 miles deep.

At least 20 smaller aftershocks followed, including two in the 3-point range, reports the LA Times. A temblor of magnitude-3.6 preceded the bigger quake by about an hour. Disneyland halted all its rides as a precaution, though the Dodgers and the Los Angeles Philharmonic played through the shaking. "A little tremor here in the ballpark," said announcer Vin Scully during the game. "I'm not sure if the folks felt it, but we certainly felt it here in press box row." The quotes were a little scarier from La Habra, close to the epicenter. "We felt a really good jolt," says one resident. "It was a long rumble and it just didn't feel like it would end. Right in the beginning it shook really hard, so it was a little unnerving. People got quiet and started bracing themselves by holding on to each other." (More earthquake stories.)

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