Earthquake: magnitude 3.3 quake hits the San Fernando Valley
which hit at 3:19 a.m., occurred in Chatsworth. Light shaking was felt in the northwest section of the Valley, while weak shaking was felt in the rest of the Valley and into downtown Los Angeles and the Westside, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Light shaking, as defined by the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, can wake people up and rattle dishes and windows, can rock stationary motor vehicles, and can feel like a truck hitting a building.
Within 20 minutes of the earthquake, hundreds of people reported feeling the earthquake and reported it to the USGS’ Did You Feel It? crowdsourcing survey. Residents reported feeling it as far away as Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, and Santa Monica.
EARTHQUAKE.— Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 3, 2020
In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.I’m very awake here in Northridge, and I see some neighbors in the next building turning on their lights.— Julian Lozos (@seismogenic) May 3, 2020
An average of five earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in the greater Los Angeles area, according to a recent three year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 4.3 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
The first version of this story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS.
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published, and it was updated by a Times journalist. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.
