A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck California’s Mojave Desert on Monday, sending shaking that was felt as far away as Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
The earthquake, which occurred at 1 p.m., was centered about 13 miles northeast of Barstow, roughly halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
There were no reports of damage or calls for service after the quake, according to Battalion Chief Travis Espinoza with the Barstow Fire Protection District.
The quake started as a little roll "and then it was a big jolt. It really shook windows and doors in Barstow," Espinoza said.
Seismologist Lucy Jones, an expert on California earthquakes, said that many quakes of a similar magnitude to Monday's have occurred in the Mojave Desert.
"This location is near the Calico fault — which crosses the Mojave," Jones said in a post on X. "It is more than 50 [kilometers] from the San Andreas fault, so it will not change the probability of a San Andreas earthquake."
The populated area that felt the strongest shaking was the town of Yermo in San Bernardino County. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that Yermo, which is along Interstate 15, was one of the areas that endured "moderate" shaking as measured by the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale — an intensity strong enough to break windows and dishes and overturn unstable objects.
Roberto Zamarripa, 34, manager at Mis Pinchis Tacos in Yermo said the quake lasted for about a minute. "It was a strong one," he said in Spanish when reached by phone.
Barstow was estimated to have felt "light" shaking, which is enough to rattle dishes and windows and feel like a heavy truck has struck a building.
The Los Angeles and Orange counties area felt "weak" shaking, noticed by some people but not others. In the Los Feliz-East Hollywood area, one person reported feeling two waves of shaking — an initial wave, followed by an easing of shaking, then walls starting to tremble.
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