Series of Earthquakes Rattle Southern California - Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

SEE DRAMATIC VIDEO OF EARTHQUAKE IN BRAWLEY AS IT HAPPENED ABOVE

Dozens of small to moderate earthquakes rattled Southern California on Sunday, shaking an area from rural Imperial County to the San Diego coast and north into the Coachella Valley.

The largest quake, magnitude 5.3, struck at 12:31 p.m. about three miles north-northwest of the small Imperial County farming town of Brawley, according to Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey. It was followed minutes later by a magnitude-4.9 quake.

The first quake had a magnitude of 3.9 and hit at 10:02 a.m. It was followed by a smaller quake about 90 seconds later in the same area near the southern end of the Salton Sea, and other smaller quakes followed within six minutes of the first shock.

The USGS said at least 25 aftershocks struck the same approximate epicenter, about 16 miles north of El Centro.

Several glasses and a bottle of wine crashed to the floor and shattered at Assaggio, an Italian restaurant in Brawley, said owner Jerry Ma. The shaking was short-lived but intense, especially during the second round of stronger quakes, he said.

A dispatcher with the Brawley Police Department said officers were fanning out around the town to assess the extent of the damage.

Some shaking was felt on the coast in Del Mar, some 120 miles from the epicenter, as well as in southern Orange County and parts of northern Mexico.

Scientists aren't yet sure what fault the quake cluster was on but it was near the 800-mile San Andreas Fault, Caruso said.

Here is a preliminary magnitude count of some of the quakes Sunday:

— 5.3  magnitude at 12:32:59

— 5.4 magnitude at 12:31:23 

— 5.3 magnitude at 12:30:54

— 3.7 magnitude at 12:30:27

— 4.7 magnitude at 12:21:04 

— 4.6 magnitude at 12:20:04

Before an Earthquake

The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your property in the event of an earthquake.

• To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.
• Fasten shelves securely to walls.
• Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
• Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.
• Fasten heavy items such as pictures and mirrors securely to walls and away from beds, couches and anywhere people sit.
• Brace overhead light fixtures and top heavy objects.
• Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks. Get appropriate professional help. Do not work with gas or electrical lines yourself.
• Install flexible pipe fittings to avoid gas or water leaks. Flexible fittings are more resistant to breakage.
• Secure your water heater, refrigerator, furnace and gas appliances by strapping them to the wall studs and bolting to the floor. If recommended by your gas company, have an automatic gas shut-off valve installed that is triggered by strong vibrations.
• Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects.
• Be sure the residence is firmly anchored to its foundation.
• Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves.
• Locate safe spots in each room under a sturdy table or against an inside wall. Reinforce this information by moving to these places during each drill.
• Hold earthquake drills with your family members: Drop, cover and hold on.

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