A preliminary 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Los Angeles area late Friday night, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake centered less than two miles west-southwest of South El Monte occurred at 11:38 p.m.
According to seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones, the focal point of the earthquake was almost the same location as the M5.9 Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987.
There have been reports that the quake was felt in La Habra, Long Beach, Oxnard, Ontario, Pasadena, near the Beverly Hills area, and other regions throughout L.A. County.
CBS LOS Angeles reports that some residents said they felt jolts from about three seconds to possibly up to a minute-long.
All 106 fire stations in the city of Los Angeles activated each checking their areas for damage, according to Los Angeles Fire Chief Ralph M. Terrazas.
Several aftershocks have occurred across the Los Angeles Basin.
This is one of the largest earthquakes in the Los Angeles Basin in a few years.
Jones said that 5% of the time, an initial earthquake may actually be aftershock that is preceding a larger earthquake.
There is also an approximately 50% chance that an aftershock around 3.0 magnitude strength could be felt, according to Jones.
There have been no reports of damages or injuries in the city of L.A. on Friday night, Chief Terrazas said.
Chief Terrazas tweeted “A preliminary survey has thankfully found no earthquake damage or injuries within the City of LA. Please follow @LAFD for emergency alerts & visit ready.gov for essential disaster planning info.
The Los Angeles Police Department also said there were “no significant incidents to report” related to the earthquake, but urged residents to have plans in place should aftershocks occur.
