Quake swarm topped by magnitude 5.1 temblor rattles L.A. region

A series of earthquakes peaking with a magnitude 5.1 shaker struck the Southland on Friday evening, causing a rock slide, water main breaks and shattered glass throughout northwestern Orange County, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

The first of a swarm of earthquakes hit the border of La Habra and Brea shortly after 8 p.m. with a 3.6 temblor. About an hour later, at 9:09 p.m., a 5.1 shock hit, followed by at least two more aftershocks in the 3-point range in the next half-hour. At least 20 aftershocks had been recorded by late Friday.

U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones said the 5.1 quake has a 5% chance of being a foreshock of a larger temblor.

“There could be even a larger earthquake in the next few hours or the next few days,” Jones said during a media briefing at Caltech.

Residents across Orange and Los Angeles counties and the Inland Empire reported swinging chandeliers, fireplaces dislodging from walls and lots of rattled nerves, but damage appeared to be relatively minor. The shake caused a rock slide in Carbon Canyon, causing a car to overturn, according to the Brea Police Department. Fullerton police received reports of water main breaks and windows shattering, but primarily had residents calling about burglar alarms being set off by the quake.

Third-grade teacher Barbara Castillo and her 7-year-old son had just calmed their nerves after the first temblor and sat down in their La Habra home when their dogs started barking and the second, larger quake struck, causing cabinet doors to swing open, objects to fall off shelves and lights to flicker.

“It just would not stop, it was like an eternity,” said Castillo, an 18-year La Habra resident.

At Disneyland in Anaheim, all rides were halted as a precaution but no damage or injuries were reported — other than ceiling tiles falling in the police station, Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.

Experts said that based on preliminary data, the series of earthquakes appeared to have occurred on the Puente Hills thrust fault, which stretches from the San Gabriel Valley to downtown Los Angeles. It also caused the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake.

Friday night’s 5.1 quake was relatively shallow, which “means the shaking is very concentrated in a small area,” said Caltech seismologist Egill Hauksson. Hauksson said the quake sequence was unusual in that the 5.1 quake was preceded about an hour earlier by a weaker foreshock.

Scientists are particularly concerned about the Puente Hills thrust fault because it goes directly underneath downtown Los Angeles. “This is the fault that could eat L.A.,” seismologist Sue Hough told The Times in 2003.

On Friday, though, police and fire departments in Los Angeles reported no damage. “Tonight’s earthquake is the second in two weeks, and reminds us to be prepared,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement.

Although the shaking was felt throughout the region, it didn’t rattle the professionalism at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Microphones above the stage swung back and forth and the hall shook, but the orchestra continued playing.

“The L.A. Philharmonic should get combat pay,” said audience member Michael Healy of Studio City.

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