4.9-Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Southern California
Three earthquakes of varying magnitude hit Barstow, Calif., roughly halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas
U.S. Geological Survey
Earthquake southern California July 29, 2024A 4.9-magnitude earthquake rattled Southern California on Monday, July 29.
The trembler originated 22 kilometers (about 13.6 miles) east-northeast of Barstow, Calif., around 1 p.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey. Barstow is located in the Mojave Desert of the Inland Empire region of Southern California — approximately halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Minutes later, two more quakes hit nearby. At 1:03 p.m., a 3.5-magnitude quake originated 21 kilometers (about 13 miles) east-northeast of the city. Around 1:05 p.m., another earthquake hit a magnitude of 2.7. The third was much closer to the 4.9 earthquake than the 3.5 earthquake. It was also located approximately 22 kilometers east-northeast of the city.
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Barstow Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Travis Espinoza said there have been no reports of damage or calls for service since the quakes, per The Los Angeles Times.
California earthquake expert Dr. Lucy Jones said several earthquakes of a similar magnitude have previously occurred in the Mojave Desert.
The place of impact is “near the Calico fault — which crosses the Mojave," Jones wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “It is more than 50 [kilometers] from the San Andreas fault, so it will not change the probability of a San Andreas earthquake.”
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People in southern California and the Las Vegas region reported feeling the shaking after the quake. The U.S. Geological Survey evaluated that Yermo in San Bernardino County felt the strongest shaking and experienced “moderate” shaking.
In Los Angeles, one person in the Los Feliz-East Hollywood area said they felt two waves of shaking. Slightly more southeast in Silver Lake, one person felt a rolling motion from the third floor of their apartment. Others felt shaking at Los Angeles City Hall. Additionally, people at the North Las Vegas City Hall also felt shaking, per the Los Angeles Times.
In California and Nevada, an average of 20 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year, per the United States Geological Survey.
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