4.7 Malibu Quake Shakes Up SoCal Morning

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake, along with a warning text, rattled Angelenos awake at 7:28 a.m. this morning. According to Southern California Earthquake Data Center at CalTech, the quake struck four miles north of Malibu, California.

Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist who served as Science Advisor for Seismic Safety for former Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti, said in a morning Zoom conference on FOX Good Day LA that that recent increased earthquakes activity is troubling, but  added the statistical significance of the increase is hard to tell. Jones said the earthquake was horizontal in motion, or strike slip motion, and located at a depth of seven miles.

Jones said the surface weather, the last week of elevated temperatures in Southern California, does not contribute or make a difference and there is no connection.

“This is a really good reminder that the quiet of the last couple of decades is not our long term picture and we do need to be prepared,” Jones said.

Doug Stewart, Malibu City Mayor, said there have been no injuries reported and “if there is any damage it’s so minor it’s not being reported.”

Stewart said there was a public safety disaster review scheduled for today. Multiple agencies, Highway Patrol, Fire Departments and more, were all present and due to the earthquake had a live event to focus on. He said he received an alert of the impending earthquake moments before the actual shaking began.

“I was having my cup of coffee with my wife at the breakfast table catching up on the news and the markets and kabang. We got a big jolt and simultaneously with that we got the alert,” Stewart said.

Jon Gudel, from California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Earthquake Early Warning program , said preparation is key to protecting people. He said downloading the MyShake app is a tool that is life saving and will let users know before an earthquake begins.

“It’s important to note though, that this app generates alerts on magnitude 4.5 or greater. Which is why you would have received one for this earthquake,” Gudel said.

He said the closer users are to the epicenter of an earthquake the less time they will have to receive the alert the app sends out. Gudel said users farther from the center of an oncoming quake can get notifications anywhere up to 30 seconds before the shaking starts.

He said there are currently more than 3.5 million total users of the MyShake app. There are more than 990 sensors across the state of California, according to Gudel.

“The ultimate goal is to have 1115 and that is expected to be built out by next year,” Gudel said.

He said the application is free and is in six different languages. MyShake app is on both Google Play and Apple App stores.

The United States Geological Survey’s Community Internet Intensity Map , shows areas of Rialto, Santa Clarita and Palmdale felt the quake at weak levels. The USGS is a scientific part of the Department of the Interior and provides mapping data for use in making decisions at multiple levels including public safety issues.