4.3 magnitude earthquake rattles Southern California

LOS ANGELES – A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck near Fontana in San Bernardino County Thursday, shaking parts of Los Angeles County, though no damage or injuries were immediately reported.

The quake struck around 9:30 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey. Initial reports estimated the magnitude as high as 4.6 before it was officially confirmed at 4.3.

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A series of earlier quakes occurred in the same area earlier in the morning, most measuring around magnitude 3.
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said the region experiences frequent seismic activity, with many quakes falling in the 3.0 to 4.0 range.

The earthquake came on the heels of a tsunami advisory by the National Weather Service for most of the Southern California coast following a powerful temblor measuring a magnitude 8.7 off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

The advisory was downgraded to a watch, and then canceled Wednesday.

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Los Angeles beaches reopened

All Los Angeles County beaches were reopened after the county’s Office of Emergency Management.announced the cancelation of the tsunami advisory. These include beaches in Long Beach, Marina del Rey and Laguna Beach.

“The Department of Beaches and Harbors is opening restrooms, accessways and parking lots at beaches it manages, as well as parking lots in Marina del Rey, hours earlier than anticipated,” a news release said.

A powerful 8.7 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s far east has prompted tsunami alerts across parts of the Pacific including Japan, Hawaii, Russia and Ecuador, and warnings along the California coast.

The massive temblor triggered warnings of waves up to 10 feet possibly hitting the coasts of Russia, Hawaii and even Ecuador and Chile along South America’s west coast, according to the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center based in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The United States further sounded the alarm with a series of alerts of varying levels along North America’s West Coast, from Alaska down to the entire coast of California. (With CNS report)

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