Edhat Staff
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Bakersfield and rattled the Central Coast on Tuesday evening.
At 9:09 p.m. the quake was registered about 14 miles southwest of Lamont, a small community in Kern County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Santa Barbara County residents have reported feeling a strong and steady roll that lasted for at least thirty seconds.
USGS ShakeAlert successfully sent out an emergency alert to smart phones seconds before the earthquake hit that read “Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On, Protect Yourself.”
The USGS stated the earthquake was felt as far south as Baja California and as far north as Santa Cruz.
At least fifteen aftershocks have been reported within thirty minutes of the initial quake ranging from 4.5 to 2.5 magnitude.
It’s unclear if there has been any damages or injuries connected to this earthquake or its aftershocks.
This is a developing story.
Things rattled and shook a wee bit here on alta mesa.
Right now (10:07 PM), USGS shows 55 quake/aftershocks.
Everyone felt it in our house. The couch seemed like a vibrating bed in a cheap motel. Hopefully all is well with the people in Bakersfield.
Lower Riviera. 9:10 p.m. Lasted less than 10 seconds at our place. We noticed that the tassels at the end of the upstairs window blind cords were swaying a tiny bit. That was it for any objects being affected. On the ground floor it felt just like Shasta Guy mentioned: a bit like a vibrating bed, but very very weak. Anyone else feel that it had a north-south direction?
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/data/dyfi/
It is the Lamont, CA quake. Approximately 138 miles from Santa Barbara.