Earthquake shakes Los Angeles area, centered near Highland Park
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck Los Angeles County Monday morning, centered in Highland Park according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake struck around 12:20 p.m. at a depth of nearly six miles. Shaking was felt across the region, from downtown L.A. to Inglewood, across the San Fernando Valley and as far as Hemet.
Dr. Lucy Jones explains fault system involved in Highland Park quake
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones explained the fault system involved in Monday's quake. She said it appeared to be based in the same group of faults that created the 1987 Whittier Narrows quake.
"There have been others in the past,'' Jones said. "In 1989, we had a pair of four-and-a-half's there were also in the system that were just a half-hour apart. There have been plenty of small ones over the years that are also within this.''
City News Service contributed to this report.
Why did Monday's earthquake feel stronger than a 4.4?
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones explained why:
"There's a lot of people on top of this earthquake. Fundamentally, if other earthquakes you've been feeling saying, 'oh, I don't usually feel a 4...' that's because you were farther away. This is very much the population," she said.
"It's one of the most potentially damaging earthquakes because it runs under from here to downtown Los Angeles, and therefore, you have a lot of older buildings that are right on top of it, and therefore overall, it's more dangerous than many others."
Why was the magnitude of Highland Park earthquake changed?
Watch: Earthquake hits during ESPN live report
The moment the earthquake struck was seen on live TV during a report from ESPN's Malika Andrews.
Person rescued from elevator at Pasadena City Hall
Lisa Derderian with the city of Pasadena said one person became trapped in an elevator but was quickly taken out.
