Earthquake and Tropical Storm Unleash Chaos in Southern California – Watch the Incredible Video! Southern California faced a dual blow from Mother Nature on Sunday, as an earthquake in Ventura County set off widespread tremors on the same day the region experienced its first tropical storm in decades.
At 2:41 p.m., a magnitude-5.1 earthquake jolted Southern Californians, who were already bracing themselves for the remnants of Hurricane Hilary. The hurricane had brought hours of steady rain during the driest month of the year for the region. There were several aftershocks, with at least a dozen measuring magnitude-3.0 or higher.
The epicenter of the earthquake was approximately four miles southeast of Ojai, about 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The quake’s impact was felt across 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.
Security camera footage captured the moment of shaking at places like Tres Hermanas restaurant in Ojai, revealing the jarring impact of the quake. Ojai, a picturesque community near Los Padres National Forest, boasts a vibrant downtown area with galleries, shops, and bars. Earthquake and Tropical Storm
Earthquake and Tropical Storm Unleash Chaos in Southern California – Watch the Incredible Video!
Despite the quake’s strength, there were no immediate reports of significant damage. Aerial surveys by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department found no harm to Lake Casitas Dam, Matilija Dam, and the city of Ojai. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles city fire department conducted damage assessments in Earthquake Operation mode across its 106 neighborhood fire stations.
Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist, noted the uniqueness of the quake’s location, mentioning that this was the first magnitude-5 event in that specific area since 1932. She also anticipated additional aftershocks in the days to come.
Coinciding with the earthquake was a rare tropical storm hitting the Los Angeles area, a phenomenon unseen for decades. The region was put under a tropical storm warning, with most of Los Angeles County issued a flash flood warning as rain persisted into Sunday night.
The term “hurriquake” began trending, highlighting the convergence of the earthquake and tropical storm. This was an unprecedented event, as Southern California had not experienced a tropical storm making landfall since September 25, 1939.
The convergence of these natural events prompted back-to-back emergency alerts on millions of phones in Southern California, one for the flash flood warning and the other for the Ventura County earthquake.
California earthquake tropical storm, seismic activity, natural disasters, Southern California weather, emergency alerts
