Earthquake rattles Southern Calif. area east of LA
LOS ANGELES — A moderate earthquake, measured at a magnitude of 4.5, rattled Banning, a Southern California town east of Los Angeles, on Wednesday, but state emergency management officials said there were no immediate reports of damage.
The quake struck around 6:45 a.m., 2 1/2 miles north of Banning in Riverside County, producing moderate to light shaking felt in and around the town, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Lighter rumblings extended as far away as San Diego, more than 100 miles to the south, and weak shaking was reported felt in scattered areas of Los Angeles, about 85 miles to the west, the agency said on its website.
There were no reports of damage, according to a Twitter message from the California Office of Emergency Services.
Tremors of similar magnitude are fairly common in seismically active California, and are generally considered unlikely to produce severe damage or injuries. According to the USGS, Banning's inhabitants, who number about 29,000, live in buildings highly resistant to earthquakeshaking.
