Webbies in the Los Angeles area got a sudden surprise on Friday, September 18 when a 4.5 magnitude earthquake centered three kilometers South of El Monte sent shocks throughout Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire. Occurring at 11:38 pm, many Webbies were jolted as they prepared for or were already in bed.
In Claremont, the shaking lasted for about 15 seconds. It was not a rolling earthquake, but rather a very tremulous one; you could feel the tectonic plates shifting vigorously next to each other. In addition to the motion of the earthquake, one could hear noise as if a loud truck was driving down your street.
After the initial shaking, Webbies flocked to social media platforms to check if their friends had felt the quake as well.
“When the earthquake happened, I was laying in my bed [in Glendora, CA] and heard somewhat of a loud banging,” said Kennedy Becher (‘21). “At first I thought it was my dog having another seizure, but soon realized it was a tremor.”
A 4.5 magnitude earthquake on the seismic scale is considered light. Earthquakes of this magnitude are felt with mild shaking, though they can be strong enough to wake you up from your sleep. While this earthquake was light, it definitely startled those who felt it.
“I was at home [in West Los Angeles] on my bed,” said Leslie Morales (‘22). “I was about to fall asleep when my bed started shaking and quivering. I jolted up and just sat there, waiting for it to end. It did startle me a little as I felt like it lasted longer than most earthquakes I ever felt and I could have felt a small aftershock. After, I got out of bed to check up on my family and then went on Twitter.”
As of Saturday September 19, 2020, at 12:46 am, The Los Angeles Police department had recorded no significant damage in Los Angeles. Fortunately, no one was hurt, just surprised.
Earthquakes are not uncommon in Los Angeles and the surrounding Southern California Area. Last night’s earthquake served as a reminder that earthquakes can come at any moment, so it is a good idea to be prepared and have an emergency plan in place.
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