Following the earthquake near Ojai, situated approximately 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles, a series of aftershocks with magnitudes surpassing 3.0 occurred. Remarkably, these aftershocks unfolded on the same day when Southern California was struck by a tropical storm, marking its return after decades.
On Sunday, Southern California experienced a double impact from Mother Nature. A magnitude-5.1 earthquake struck Ventura County at 2:41 p.m., coinciding with the region’s encounter with its first tropical storm in decades.
This quake surprised residents, especially as they were already prepared for the remnants of Hurricane Hilary, causing continuous rain during the typically dry month of the year.
Numerous aftershocks of magnitude-3.0 or higher followed the initial earthquake. The epicenter of the earthquake was approximately four miles southeast of Ojai, located around 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Reports of shaking came in from various places, including Ventura, Camarillo, Oxnard, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Santa Barbara, parts of LA’s San Fernando Valley, Malibu, Porter Ranch, Manhattan Beach, and other locations.
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Tres Hermanas restaurant in Ojai documented the shaking through security camera footage, capturing both visuals and the intense sound of the tremors. Situated about 12 miles north of Ventura on the fringes of Los Padres National Forest, Ojai boasts a lively downtown area with art galleries, shops, and bars.
Fortunately, there were no immediate accounts of significant damage. Aerial assessments by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department encompassed Lake Casitas Dam, Matilija Dam, and the city of Ojai, revealing no signs of damage.
Los Angeles swiftly activated its Earthquake Operation mode, prompting all 106 neighborhood fire stations to undertake damage assessments.
Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist, noted the unique location of the earthquake’s occurrence, stating, “It’s intriguing to see it manifest here. This is the initial instance of a magnitude-5 event precisely in this location since 1932, and that’s even within the Ventura basin.”
Dr. Jones further explained that a magnitude-5.1 earthquake had been recorded to the west of the recent quake back in 1941. She also highlighted that certain aftershocks of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake had taken place east of this current location.
Jones anticipates the likelihood of additional aftershocks in the upcoming days.
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Hashtag Hurriquake trends on Twitter X
The hashtag #hurriquake rapidly gained traction on social media platform X following the midday seismic event.
Coinciding with the earthquake was the arrival of a rare tropical storm, marking the first occurrence of such an event in decades within the Los Angeles area. Southern California found itself under an unprecedented tropical storm warning, while the majority of Los Angeles County was placed under a flash flood warning due to ongoing rain projected through Sunday night.
It’s worth noting that Southern California hasn’t experienced a tropical storm making landfall since September 25, 1939, when a system lost its hurricane classification moments before reaching Long Beach, resulting in catastrophic consequences.
On Sunday, millions of Southern Californians received consecutive and urgent emergency alerts on their mobile phones. The initial alert signaled a flash flood warning, followed by a second alert addressing the Ventura County earthquake.
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