4.0 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Southern California's Inland Empire, Waking Residents

Magnitude 4.0 Earthquake Shakes Southern California's Inland Empire

Early Sunday morning, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake rattled Southern California’s Inland Empire, startling residents and shaking homes across the region. The quake struck at 3:41 a.m. near Ontario, with its epicenter located just south of Highway 60, close to Ontario International Airport and at a depth of three miles.

Although initially reported as a 4.3 magnitude, the U.S. Geological Survey quickly downgraded it to 4.0. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, but the tremor was felt widely, leading to several minor aftershocks, the strongest recorded at 2.5.

Social media was abuzz with reactions from residents. One viewer from Eastvale described the experience, saying, “It shook my house violently! It felt like a car had hit the side of my house.” Another resident in Fontana noted that it shook their door so forcefully they initially thought someone was knocking.

The USGS impact map indicated that the earthquake's effects were felt across a broad area, including Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Orange counties, and even reaching parts of northern San Diego County.

While California experiences thousands of earthquakes each year, most are minor. Typically, only about 15 to 20 earthquakes reach a magnitude of 4.0 or higher, making this incident noteworthy. California ranks second in North America for earthquake frequency, following Alaska.

4.0 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Southern California's Inland Empire, Waking Residents