Magnitude-5.1 Earthquake Strikes Ventura County
(United Latest News)- A magnitude-5.1 earthquake rattled Ventura County, sending tremors through various areas of Southern California. This seismic occurrence was followed by a series of aftershocks, many of which surpassed a magnitude of 3.0. The earthquake originated near Ojai, situated about 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Remarkably, this seismic activity coincided with an unprecedented occurrence: a tropical storm hitting Southern California after decades.
On a single day, Southern California experienced a dual blow from Mother Nature. The magnitude-5.1 earthquake, measuring 5.1 in magnitude and occurring at 2:41 p.m., startled residents who were already bracing themselves for the remnants of Hurricane Hilary. This hurricane had previously brought continuous rainfall during the region’s historically driest month. The aftermath saw over a dozen aftershocks, each with magnitudes of 3.0 or more.
The epicenter of the earthquake was identified as approximately four miles southeast of Ojai, situated within the expansive Los Padres National Forest and positioned 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The reverberations extended to numerous regions, encompassing Ventura, Camarillo, Oxnard, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Santa Barbara, segments of LA’s San Fernando Valley, Malibu, Porter Ranch, Manhattan Beach, and various other locations.
Also Read: Colombian Capital Shaken by 6.3 Magnitude Earthquake
A security camera at Ojai’s Tres Hermanas restaurant captured the unsettling visuals and sounds of the shaking. Ojai, a picturesque community on the outskirts of the Los Padres National Forest, boasts a lively downtown with art galleries, shops, and bars. Fortunately, immediate reports indicated no significant damage. Aerial surveys by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the safety of Lake Casitas Dam, Matilija Dam, and the city of Ojai.
In response, the Los Angeles City Fire Department launched its magnitude-5.1 earthquake Operation mode, with all 106 neighborhood fire stations assessing potential damage. Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist, found the earthquake’s epicenter particularly intriguing due to its historical significance. Notably, this was the first magnitude-5 earthquake in the area since 1932, and it occurred within the Ventura basin.
Dr. Jones pointed out a similar magnitude-5.1 earthquake in 1941 to the west of the recent quake and linked some aftershocks from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake to the east of the current epicenter. She predicted further aftershocks in the days ahead.
Social media responded with the hashtag #hurriquake gaining traction on platforms like X, reflecting the convergence of the earthquake and the rare tropical storm. The tropical storm marked the first of its kind to hit the Los Angeles area in decades. Southern California found itself under a tropical storm warning for the first time ever, and a flash flood warning extended across most of Los Angeles County, with rain forecasted into the evening.
The last time a tropical storm made landfall in Southern California was on September 25, 1939, when a system lost its hurricane status just before reaching Long Beach, resulting in catastrophic outcomes. On this Sunday, millions of Southern Californians received consecutive emergency alerts on their phones: the first about a flash flood warning and the second notifying them of the magnitude-5.1 earthquake in Ventura County.
