Politics
Major U.S. Metro Rocked By Massive Earthquake
A powerful earthquake struck Southern California Monday morning, jolting residents from San Diego to Los Angeles and triggering momentary chaos in several communities. The 5.2-magnitude quake hit at 10:08 a.m. Pacific Time, with its epicenter located just south of Julian, a mountain town in San Diego County.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake originated roughly 8 miles beneath the surface and was part of the seismically active Elsinore Fault Zone, which branches off the larger San Andreas Fault system. Though no major injuries or significant structural damage have been reported, the event shook buildings, rattled nerves, and prompted emergency responses across multiple counties.
At least eight aftershocks have been recorded since the initial quake, including one that reached magnitude 4.0. Emergency crews remain on alert, and local officials are urging residents to be prepared in case more aftershocks follow.
Transportation authorities noted a handful of minor incidents, including rockslides along State Route 76 near East Grade Road. Several schools across the region briefly evacuated students as a precaution, and business owners spent the morning inspecting for damage.
U.S. Geological Survey
Robin Boland of the Julian Chamber of Commerce said the earthquake left a noticeable impact on the small mountain town. While the shaking may not have caused major damage, it definitely caught residents off guard.
“Everybody in town seemed to react to it again, everybody running out to the sidewalks on Main Street, Julian. Everybody was outside checking on each other and all the car alarms were going off,” Boland said to CBS News.
She added that the tremor felt unusually long and left many shaken. Despite Julian’s size, the quake clearly didn’t go unnoticed.
“We definitely felt a very violent jolt, and it lasted about 10 seconds and our whole entire building was swaying as well … that was the biggest earthquake I’ve felt in a long time,” said Caroline from Carlsbad.
In Julian, Dylan Carniero was inside Mountain Spirits Liquor when the quake struck. He had just stepped toward the restroom when the ground began to move beneath him.
“I just hear like consecutive three to four different bursts and pops of different bottles,” he said. Carniero said the shaking caused several bottles to fall from the shelves, leaving a mess and minor damage throughout the store.
Ashley Pinnick, a resident of Ramona, said the shaking from the earthquake caused visible damage inside her home. “It felt like my entire roof was going to collapse.
“We have a large beam that runs through the center of our house, and I started to hear something cracking and that’s when I started screaming for everyone to get out, cause I was terrified,” she recalled.
Over in Escondido, Linda Rangel was working from home when the quake hit. “My instinct was to just leave the building. I don’t know if that was the right thing to do, but I didn’t have any shoes on,” she said. “I left my phone behind. I just got up and ran out.”
Aftershocks remain possible in the coming days.
