No Injuries, Damage Reported From 5.2 SD County Quake Felt Across LA

LOS ANGELES, CA — No major damage or injuries were reported Tuesday after a 5.2-magnitude rattled the eastern San Diego County highlands and was widely felt throughout Los Angeles County.

Law enforcement and other emergency agencies in Los Angeles and Orange counties conducted safety checks, but did not responded to any quake- related incidents.

Following the quake, Metrolink canceled service on Orange County Line train 608 between San Clemente and Oceanside, allowing crews to conduct precautionary track inspections and determine if any damage occurred, but none was reported.

The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services said the agency was working with local agencies to assess any possible damage or impacts from the quake. The governor's office issued a statement saying Gov. Gavin Newsom had been briefed on the quake.

"The state is coordinating with local authorities to assess any damage and if emergency response is needed," the governor's office said.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake struck at 10:08 a.m. Monday about 2.5 miles south of Julian near the Pine Hills area. A series of aftershocks promptly followed in the same general area, most with magnitude readings of less than 3.0, though one near Borrego Springs registered 3.5, and one struck again near Julian around 11:30 a.m. that registered 3.9, the agency reported.

The shaker was felt as far away as Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Seismologist and Southern California earthquake expert Lucy Jones said the quake appeared to have been felt "over a very large area," stretching into Los Angeles. She said given the size and depth of the quake, it was unlikely to cause any series damage "to a normal California building," although it may have knocked some items off shelves.

"There shouldn't be structural damage," she said. "If there is, it's in a pretty bad building."

One resident in the Vista area in San Diego County noted online that the quake "sounded and felt like a bomb went off."

Bessie Eberhardt of Fallbrook told City News Service the temblor was one of the stronger quakes she has felt in her decades of living in Orange and San Diego counties.

"It started with a slight tremor and loud boom, then the shaking started," she said, adding that she was worried for her 93-year-old mother, whose bedroom is on the first floor of the two-story home.

"It lasted as long as it took me to run downstairs and get to my mom, who was disappointed she slept through it," Eberhardt said.

City News Service