Los Angeles area gets rocked by "significant" 4.4 magnitude earthquake

Los Angeles, California - A magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit Southern California on Monday afternoon with resulting shockwaves felt throughout the surrounding area.

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit Southern California on Monday afternoon with resulting shockwaves felt throughout the surrounding area.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit Southern California on Monday afternoon with resulting shockwaves felt throughout the surrounding area.  © United States Geological Survey

The quake rumbled through at about 12:20 PM local time and was located 2.5 miles south/southeast of Highland Park near LA's Chinatown, per US Geological Survey.

"Significant earthquake just felt in the Los Angeles area," the LA Police Department wrote via X.

The LA Fire Department went into "earthquake mode" after the tremor and confirmed that evaluations found no structural damage or injuries to residents, as reported by CNN.

Though a relatively mild quake, the densely populated area of the city that was hit led to more widespread reporting of the incident.

According to NBC News, residents near Hollywood – around nine miles away from the epicenter – experienced "a sensation of rocking back and forth" during Monday's quake.

First responders urged residents to prepare for potential aftershocks but reported that additional quakes were not believed to be likely.

The California region was previously hit by two smaller quakes in the preceding 24 hours, clocking in at magnitudes of 1.7 and 1.3.

Following the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Games on Sunday, all eyes have been on the City of Angels, which is set to host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.

Cover photo: United States Geological Survey

More on Environment and Climate: