Southern California Hit with Earthquake Swarm
Posted on August 28, 2012 Written By: iadminlaw
Official seal of Imperial County, California (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
California has been shaking with hundreds of small earthquakes. Since Sunday morning, August 26, a swarm of earthquakes shook the Imperial County, sparking speculation from California residents that a bigger earthquake will be soon to come. However, experts have rejected the assumption and have said that there is no evidence that a bigger earthquake will be coming anytime soon.
Starting Saturday evening, August 25, Imperial County began feeling the dozens of earth tremors that flocked the region. The area which is about 100 miles east of San Diego began experiencing the quakes which were moderate and small in magnitude. Two of the bigger magnitude quakes measured to about 5.5 and 5.3.
There were about 300 to 400 small earthquakes that could be felt between Arizona and San Diego. The clusters of tremors must have worried a few residents. So far, no serious personal injury has been reported in the county. The region has a long history of earthquake swarms so most residents had an idea of what to do and how to stay safe. Surely the drivers on the road also knew how to avoid any car accidents the quakes could have caused.
On Monday night around 7 p.m., a 4.2 earthquake followed the series of tiny quakes and jolted the community. Before the 4.2 magnitude quake, experts reported that the earthquakes were slowing down and getting slower in magnitude.
Earthquake specialists say that the earthquake swarms could continue on for a few more hours or even a few days. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, earthquake swarms are fairly common. The last swarm which took place in Southern California was in 2005. In 2005, there were about a thousand tiny earthquakes, the largest which had a magnitude of 5.1. Experts still puzzle over this kind of activity. USGS seismologist Susa Hough stated that the earthquakes “seem to light up and turn off for reasons we don’t understand.”
Since many residents near San Diego County have experienced this kind of activity before, they would know best how to act and react when an earthquake strikes.
The aftermath of the swarm involved sporadic power outages. There were about 2,500 people involved in the power outages. Authorities said they had to evacuate 49 patients from the county’s two hospitals. Several people reported gas leaks and water line breaks.
Since it is not uncommon to have earthquakes in Southern California, many residents knew how to respond to the gas breaks and water leaks. Thankfully, no serious harm was inflicted on anyone.
If you have found yourself suffering from personal injury, contact a personal injury attorney today as soon as possible.
