Our reporting is free for everyone, but it’s not free to make.
LAist only exists with reader support. If you're in a position to give, your donation powers our reporters and keeps us independent.
LA Gets A 4.0 Jolt Before Dawn; Quake Near Inglewood Came After 2 Smaller Quakes
USGS map shows the epicenter of an earthquake that hit at about 4:45 a.m. Monday. (Courtesy USGS)
A predawn earthquake jolted some Angelenos awake just before 4:45 this morning.
The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 4.0, has an epicenter at Hollywood Park, a few blocks from the intersection of W. Century and Crenshaw boulevards. There were no immediate reports of damage.
According to the United States Geological Survey, about half an hour prior to the 4.0 temblor, two smaller quakes struck in the same area — a 3.3 and a 2.5.
In addition, there have been a number of smaller aftershocks.
Don Blakeman, a geophysicist at the National Earthquake Information Center, says aftershocks are common with a 4.0 quake.
"Or it could just be what we call a swarm — just a number of small quakes — not exactly a main shock aftershock situation," Blakeman told us. "There's also a very, very, very tiny possibility there could be a much larger quake. And that's just in general, anytime we have quakes somewhere in a seismically active area, there's always the possibility of a much larger quake."
The Southern California Seismic Network at Caltech puts the chance of a larger quake happening — larger than a magnitude 4.0 — at 5%.
Well, good morning everyone! We felt that little 4.0 magnitude earthquake over in the San Fernando Valley https://t.co/F7w8b2yC7V
— Jacob Margolis (@JacobMargolis) April 5, 2021
If you felt the quake, you can let the USGS know about what you experienced at: Did you feel it?
The M4.0 that just happened was under Lennox, CA, near Inglewood. Very deep at 20 km, so everyone is at least 20 km away. Would have been felt by most people awake in LA. Movement was thrust, probably not on any mapped fault https://t.co/UIPbVH0kw5
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) April 5, 2021
USGS officials said that they did issue an alert, but because the quake was under 4.5 magnitude it was not sent to mobile phones.
We know that many people felt this earthquake! Alerts to mobile phones are only delivered for earthquakes that the #ShakeAlert system estimates to be M4.5 or bigger. @Cal_OES pic.twitter.com/hmtasQcSdC
— USGS ShakeAlert (@USGS_ShakeAlert) April 5, 2021
THE BIG ONE IS COMING. GET PREPARED
We don't want to scare you, but the Big One is coming. We don't know when, but we know it'll be at least 44 times stronger than Northridge and 11 times stronger than the Ridgecrest quakes in 2019. To help you get prepared, we've compiled a handy reading list
- Part Of The San Andreas Fault Is Moving Way Faster Than We Previously Thought
- Your Guide To Surviving The Big One
- For Earthquakes, Forget The 'Go-Bag.' Here's How To Prepare
- How To Not Get Life-Threatening Diarrhea After A Major Earthquake
- 10 Earthquake-Related Questions To Ask Your Landlord Immediately
- Listen to KPCC's Podcast The Big One: Your Survival Guide