Baja 7.2 Earthquake Hits Southern California April 4, 2010: Multiple Quakes in California

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake centered about 108 miles east of Tijuana, near Mexicali in a relatively uninhabited area, was felt in San Diego and Los Angeles today; as far north as Santa Barbara and as far east as Yuma and Phoenix, Arizona. The quake struck at 3:40 p.m. PDT. About 9 minutes later, a separate quake measuring 4.1 magnitude was felt north of San Francisco in Santa Rose, California. Continuing updates as available. See update 4-3-10 below.

USGS Baja Earthquake Magnitude 7.2

The Baja quake was followed by at least 5 aftershocks, the largest of which was a 5.1 magnitude. Buildings swayed in San Diego and L.A., and Disneyland shutdown the the park - but "some people are trapped in elevators after the quake." The Disneyland report is timed 7:37 p.m. EDT.

Buildings rattled on the west side of L.A. and in the San Fernando Valley. Water sloshed from swimming pools. The Coronado Bridge over San Diego Bay was closed for a short time by the Highway Patrol. So far, no major damage or injuries have been reported, and no power outages in L.A.

The L.A. Fire Department is in 'earthquake mode,' and are checking elevators for stranded people, buildings and bridges for structural damage. Infrastructure, power lines, conventions centers, Dodger Stadium, universities - all must be checked for possible damage. Update


4-3-10 9:35 CDT:
One person is reported dead in the collapse of a house in Mexicali,
Mexico. Hotels in the area are empty as aftershocks continue. Mexicali's population is about 1 million people. See a photo slideshow here.

Palm Desert, CA felt the Baja quake. A WorldNewsVine journalist said the earth shook for about 2 minutes, and was the strongest quake felt in the 10 years the reporter has lived in the area.