Residents of Los Angeles awoke to an early morning wake-up call when a powerful 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Malibu Wednesday. The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake at 2:03 a.m. local time, followed by a 3.5 magnitude aftershock soon after.
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The first quake’s epicenter was approximately 10 miles south of Malibu and 9 miles deep. Reports from the USGS Shake Alert system found the earthquake was felt throughout Los Angeles and beyond. The National Weather Service has not issued a warning for tsunami activity.
Los Angeles Fire Department Nicholas Prange said all 106 neighborhood fire stations are conducting a strategic survey around their districts, including transportation infrastructures, large places of assemblage, apartment buildings and power-lines.
Celebrities such as Chance The Rapper, Josh Gad and ICY GRL took to Twitter to report the shake. “That earthquake” ICY GRL posted, accompanied by a hiding-behind-hands emoji. Others described the experience on social media. One Twitter user wrote, “You know you’re a Californian when you’re sitting in your bed waiting for it to get worse while you scroll and sip tea.”
At the time of reporting, there have been no initial reports of injuries or damage in the region. California and Nevada are hit with an average of 25 earthquakes of magnitudes 4.0 to 5.0 each year, according to the Los Angeles Times.
This is a breaking news story, more to follow.