Series of small earthquakes rattle Ontario, USGS says

Saturday, September 7, 2024
ONTARIO, Calif. (KABC) -- A swarm of small earthquakes struck Ontario Saturday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, rattling some nerves but not causing major damage.

The first 3.5 magnitude earthquake struck around 10:05 a.m. and was centered about three miles southeast of Ontario, USGS said.

It was followed by another 3.9 magnitude quake centered east-southeast of Ontario at 10:34 a.m. almost 30 minutes after the first.

At 11:45 a.m., a 2.6 magnitude aftershock struck about two miles southeast of Ontario.

The USGS also recorded dozens of smaller quakes, between magnitudes 1 and 2 throughout the day.



"All of a sudden everything shook," said Lucy Campa, a store clerk in Ontario. "I felt like the truck was coming through the store. Especially with all the merchandise, it felt a lot stronger."

"That second one hit and it was just, it was a bigger one, it was more noticeable and everyone froze for a second," said Gaby Galdamez of Ontario.

There were no immediate reports of significant damage.

Eyewitnesses reported feeling shaking in Ontario, Fontana, San Bernardino, Riverside, Pomona and Chino.

"Today we are having a small swarm in the Fontana Seismicity Lineation, a northeast-striking line of many small quakes," seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said in a post on X.


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