A magnitude of 5.2 earthquakes struck southern California Monday morning, shaking the areas around San Diego and triggering the state emergency alert system. The epicenter was located near Julian, a small mountain town in the county of San Diego, around 10:00 am local time.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake is from around 35 miles northeast of San Diego and 120 miles in the south of Los Angeles. While the tremor was largely felt, officials have not reported any immediate injury or structural damage.
The Julienne region, known for its rustic charm and its apple pie, has experienced light tremors. Some minor articles have been moved – such as cups falling at Julian Cafe & Bakery – but no call for emergency assistance has been reported. The local fire and sheriff services confirmed that they had not received any emergency call linked to the earthquake.
The earthquake caused luminaires to swing and shelves to freeze in San Diego and felt as far north as Los Angeles. California governor Gavin Newsom said he had been informed and that state officials worked with local stakeholders to assess any potential damage.
This earthquake served as a real -time test for the Shakelert system, a network operated by the USGS which pushes warnings in advance via mobile phones and emergency systems. The residents of San Diego received alerts up to 14 seconds before the start of the tremors, asking them to “fall, cover and hold”.
It was the second earthquake in the region in less than 24 hours, after a magnitude 3.5 Sunday afternoon. The aftershocks were recorded in a few minutes of the larger earthquake, including tremors measuring 3.0 and 2.5.
Experts say that if the region is well suited to seismic activity, landslides and liquefaction remain potential dangers in these earthquakes. However, the structural resilience of buildings in the region has helped to mitigate any significant impact of the event on Monday.
