Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

Climate & Environment

A 3.8 Quake Struck Off The Coast Of Malibu Early Sunday

A star shows the quake's epicenter off the coast of Southern California and concentrate shapes indicate where shaking was felt.
A 3.8 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Malibu early Sunday.
(
Courtesy USGS
)

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today . 

Did you feel some shaking in the predawn hours? It wasn't your imagination. A 3.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Malibu about 2:30 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The distance was about 12 miles off the coast and it wasn't a big one on the Richter scale — but it certainly woke some people up everywhere from West L.A. to Long Beach. Some took to their phones to post about it — a favorite L.A. pastime.

About this quake

The preliminary magnitude was reported at 4.1 and it did generate an early warning, issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s earthquake ShakeAlert system, which gives subscribed residents several seconds warning before shaking starts.

Support for LAist comes from

No damage has been reported.

As of 8:30 a.m., nearly 3,000 people had reported feeling the shaking to the USGS "Felt Report."

The quake was the largest in recent seismic activity in the region, much of it, as is typical, very minor.

A series of colored dots on a map of Southern California indicate recent quakes
The Malibu quake, shown here in blue, was the largest of recent seismic activity — most of it under 2.0 on the Richter scale.
(
Courtesy USGS
)

How to get ready now

Earthquake prep resources
Support for LAist comes from

Jacob Margolis contributed to this report.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist