A 5.2 earthquake hit near Bakersfield on Tuesday night. The quake happened just after 9 p.m. It was 7.6 miles west of Mettler in Kern County. It was also 19 miles south of Bakersfield. The quake was 89 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The U.S. Geological Survey shared these details.
People felt the quake in many places. They felt it in Ventura, Simi Valley, and Camarillo. They also felt it in Santa Clarita, Encino, and Hollywood. Santa Monica, North Hollywood, Pasadena, and Woodland Hills also felt it.
At least 31 aftershocks happened after the quake. One aftershock was as strong as 4.5. Caltech’s Seismological Laboratory shared this info.
The Los Angeles Fire Department shared a news release. They started “earthquake mode.” All 106 fire stations checked the area. They checked by land, sea, and air. They did not find any big damage or injuries. They ended “earthquake mode” just after 10 p.m.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted on X, formerly Twitter. She said city teams would keep watching for any impacts.
L.A. Metro also posted on X. They said trains would run slower to check for damage. Later, they reported no damage.
Drivers on the southbound 5 Freeway faced problems. A big boulder fell on the road near Grapevine Road. The California Highway Patrol closed some lanes. This caused a big traffic backup.
Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist, posted on X. She said the 5.2 quake was near the White Wolf fault. This fault caused a big quake in 1952. That quake was 7.5 in magnitude. But this recent quake was not on that fault. She said there is a 5% chance of a bigger quake following this one.
