A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck near Bakersfield Tuesday evening, sending out shockwaves across Southern California.
Southern California is famed for its sunny weather and dramatic Pacific coastline. San Diego, just north of the Mexican border, is known for its surfing spots and massive Balboa Park, with its world-renowned zoo and museums.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit close to Bakersfield on Tuesday evening. The shockwaves spread across the entire Southern California region. The quake hit about a minute after 9 p.m. at about 6 miles in depth, about 7.6 miles west-northwest of Mettler in Kern County—nearly 19 miles south of Bakersfield and 89 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.
People from Ventura, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Santa Clarita, Encino, Hollywood, Santa Monica, North Hollywood, Pasadena, and Woodland Hills called KTLA to say they felt the quake.
At least 31 aftershocks occurred, with the strongest at 4.5. The Los Angeles Fire Department initiated “earthquake mode,” and all of its 106 neighborhood fire stations surveyed their areas. By about 10 p.m., they reported no major infrastructure damage or injuries in Los Angeles, and earthquake mode was complete.
According to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, city teams would continue monitoring the situation. L.A. Metro said trains would run slower while checking for damage and subsequently confirmed no damage to the system.
A large boulder slid into the lanes from the side of the mountain along the southbound 5 Freeway, just south of Grapevine Road, likely caused by the quake. Multiple lanes were closed, and substantial traffic backups occurred.
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones described the earthquake as near the White Wolf fault, which caused a magnitude 7.5 quake in 1952. She said this recent quake did not seem to be on that fault. She added there is only a 5 percent chance of a larger quake following this one.”.
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