Apr 24, 2009 6:29 pm US/Pacific
Another Small Earthquake Shakes Orange County
YORBA LINDA, Calif. (AP) ―
Another small earthquake has shaken Orange County.
The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.1-magnitude quake struck at 5:06 p.m. Friday, It was centered two miles northeast of Yorba Linda, the same area that has been rocked by several small quakes since Thursday.
According to the USGS, the latest quake series began with a magnitude 3.8 that struck shortly before 5 p.m. yesterday and was followed by a magnitude-4.0 temblor less than four hours later. A minute after the second quake, scientists recorded a magnitude 2.6.
The magnitude of the third quake was downgraded from a 3.9 after scientists analyzed the data.
The quake cluster did not cause any injuries or significant damage, but Yorba Linda City Hall was briefly evacuated as a precaution.
Jones said the 3.9 occurred on a fault parallel to the Whittier Fault, a moderately active fault that stretches about 30 miles from eastern Los Angeles County south to northern Orange County.
The shaking occurred near the location of last year's magnitude-5.4 temblor, centered in neighboring Chino Hills, that rattled a large swath of Southern California. The area has had a series of mostly minor earthquakes since March.
Peter Chuang, manager of Wing's Chinese Restaurant in Yorba Linda, said the second quake shook for about 15 seconds.
"It felt very strong," Chuang said. "Some customers were very nervous and asked to take their food home so they could check on their houses."
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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