Residents throughout Southern California felt the strong jolt of a magnitude-4.4 earthquake early Monday, waking up some and startling plenty of others.
Shortly after the 6:25 a.m. temblor, Californians spanning areas such as Ventura, Temecula and Lancaster took to the internet to share their experiences.
“I was watching the morning news on KNBC, saw the anchors react to the earthquake, readied myself, and felt the shaking 2-3 seconds later,” said Bill Knight in an email.
For those around the epicenter about five miles northwest of Westwood, the quake felt stronger than the preliminary magnitude.
“I’m close to the epicenter,” wrote Mike Kessler on Facebook. “Felt more like a 6.”
It was finals week at UCLA, and the early-morning quake was enough to wake and scare students living on or near campus.
News
Top news of the day
“You don’t know fear until you’ve seen your top bunk move during an earthquake,” one student wrote on Twitter.
The quake, Los Angeles' strongest in five years, was a new experience for other students.
"Just felt my first earthquake," wrote Anna-Grace Pryor. "That was so insanely scary. Can't stop shaking."
Even longtime California residents were shaken by the temblor.
“Just because we live in California doesn’t mean we’re used to earthquakes,” a person identifying himself as Guillermo Tweeted. “I’ll never get used to it.”
For some, the shaking brought back memories of of the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
"I live in Rancho Vista, which is located in West Palmdale. I definitely felt the quake. I lived through the quake in the early 70's and the Northridge quake," wrote Marilyn Scott on Facebook. "Granted, this one wasn't anywhere near the magnitude as those were, but it definitely got my attention."
No injuries or damage were reported to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he and other city officials would continue to monitor the quake's impact.
"Today's earthquake is a reminder that every L.A. family must be prepared with food, water and other essentials, as well as a plan," Garcetti said in a statement. "While it appears the greatest impact of this temblor was a rude awakening, we are executing our post-earthquake protocols to survey our neighborhoods and critical infrastructure."
