SAN DIEGO (AP) - A significant earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale struck Southern California on Monday morning at 10:08 a.m. local time. The epicenter was located in San Diego County, just a few miles from the mountain town of Julian, which has a population of around 1,500 and is well-known for its apple pie shops. The quake was powerful enough to be felt as far north as Los Angeles County, approximately 120 miles (193 kilometers) away. Following the main shock, several aftershocks were reported.
Paul Nelson, the owner of the Eagle Mining Co., a former gold mine that dates back to the 1870s, described his experience during the quake. He expressed concern that the single-pane windows would shatter due to the intensity of the shaking, but fortunately, they remained intact. Some picture frames in his gift shop did fall over, but the historic mine itself did not sustain any damage. Interestingly, a smaller 3.5 magnitude quake had occurred the day before, while a group of tourists was touring the mine, but it did not cause panic among the visitors.
Transportation officials urged drivers to be cautious of boulders and rocks that had fallen onto rural roads and highways, including State Route 76, which is located northwest of Julian. The California Department of Transportation began assessing the road conditions for any potential damage following the tremor.
As a safety precaution, schoolchildren were evacuated outside from their classrooms when the earthquake commenced. Captain Thomas Shoots of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in San Diego County recounted his personal experience during the quake, mentioning that he received a shake alert prior to feeling the tremors rolling through the area. He stated, "There was a lot of shaking and rattling around, but thankfully everything seems to be back to normal."
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department reported that there were no immediate accounts of injuries or significant damage resulting from the quake. Riley Ozuna, the owner of the Julian Cafe & Bakery, reported minor damage, noting that some cups had fallen onto the floor, but reassured patrons that everything was fine overall.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 8.3 miles (13.4 kilometers) near the Elsinore fault zone, which is part of the well-known San Andreas fault system, recognized as one of California's most active seismic regions. According to Lucy Jones, a seasoned seismologist in Southern California, the region experiences at least one magnitude 4.0 quake each year. She mentioned that the earthquake experienced on Sunday was a foreshock, preceding the larger quake that occurred on Monday.
Some residents of San Diego County who subscribe to the USGS early warning system known as ShakeAlert received notifications a couple of seconds before the earthquake struck, while others did not receive alerts until after the shaking had already occurred.
