Over 150 Quakes, Including 4.5 Magnitude Rattle California

Over 150 quakes, including 4.5 magnitude, rattle Imperial County during reported earthquake swarm

 A reported earthquake swarm rattled Imperial County on Saturday, with over 150 recorded quakes in the city of Brawley, south of the Salton Sea -- including one 4.5 magnitude.

The United States Geological Survey has recorded at least 29 quakes over 2.5 magnitude, but well over 150 earthquakes total, including small ones, have been recorded on Saturday, according to the Caltech Seismological Laboratory.

The first quake reported by USGS -- a 3.5 magnitude -- struck nearly two miles west-south-west of Brawley, California, at 4:14 p.m., at a depth of just over eight and a half miles.

Then, the quakes continued intermittently over the span of several hours. They all ended up being foreshocks to a 4.5-magnitude earthquake that was recorded at 8:39 p.m. at a depth of just over nine miles, according to USGS. Other sizable quakes included a 4.4 at 8:03 p.m. and a 4.0 at 8:13 p.m.

After that, several aftershocks continued late into the night.

At least 29 additional earthquakes were reported by USGS with magnitudes ranging between 2.5 and 4.5.

ABC7 has compiled a list of items that are important to have in your earthquake kit so that you're prepared for "the big one."

Dozens of earthquakes rattle southern California in reported swarm

Olivia Stephens

Dozens of earthquakes rattled parts of California on Saturday and into Sunday in what experts call an earthquake swarm, with many centered near Brawley in Imperial County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

While many of the earthquakes remained below magnitude 4.0, the swarm peaked with a magnitude 4.7 tremor just after midnight on Sunday. Reports of light shaking were felt from north of the city in the Coachella Valley, south to Calexico, and reaching into San Diego and Mexicali.

The initial quake that ignited the swarm in Brawley hit at approximately 4:14 p.m. local time on Saturday, measuring a 3.5 magnitude. It was centered 2 miles west-southwest of Brawley at a depth of about 8.5 to 9 miles, according to the USGS.

In fact, this past week in general has been active with earthquakes in the Golden State, stretching from the North Coast down through the Inland Empire and into the Imperial Valley.

The earthquakes in the Brawley swarm occurred at shallow depths, primarily ranging between 5 and 10 miles