Mother Nature Throws a Double Punch at Southern California with Earthquake and Tropical Storm
Southern California experienced a double whammy on Sunday as an earthquake shook Ventura County while the region was drenched by a tropical storm, the first in decades. The magnitude-5.1 earthquake struck at 2:41 p.m., catching Southern Californians off guard as they already braced themselves for the remnants of Hurricane Hilary, which had been bringing steady rain. The earthquake, with at least a dozen aftershocks of magnitude-3.0 or greater, originated about four miles southeast of Ojai.
Reports of shaking poured in from various locations, including Ventura, Camarillo, Oxnard, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Santa Barbara, parts of LA’s San Fernando Valley, Malibu, Porter Ranch, and Manhattan Beach. A security camera video from Tres Hermanas restaurant in Ojai captured the intense shaking and jarring sound. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of significant damage, as confirmed by aerial surveys conducted by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. The Los Angeles city fire department went into Earthquake Operation mode with all 106 neighborhood fire stations conducting damage surveys.
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones highlighted the location of the earthquake, pointing out that it was the first time in the same location since 1932. She mentioned that a magnitude-5.1 earthquake had been reported in 1941 to the west of Sunday’s quake. Dr. Jones also predicted more aftershocks in the following days, causing the term “hurriquake” to trend on social media platforms.
Adding to the chaos, a rare tropical storm hit the Los Angeles area simultaneously with the earthquake. This marked the first time in decades that Southern California had been under a tropical storm warning. Most of Los Angeles County was under a flash flood warning, with rain expected to continue into Sunday night. The last tropical storm to make landfall in Southern California was on September 25, 1939, with catastrophic consequences. As a result, millions of Southern Californians received urgent emergency alerts on their phones, warning of both the flash flood and the earthquake in Ventura County.
As the region grapples with the aftermath of these natural disasters, it is crucial for residents to stay informed and follow appropriate safety protocols. Updates on the situation will be provided as they become available.
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