On Sunday afternoon, around 2:40 PM, Ojai experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1, resulting in tremors felt throughout Ventura County and beyond.
American geologists reported that the earthquake was located approximately 4.3 miles southeast of Ojai and lasted for several seconds. More than 30 aftershocks were recorded.
The Ventura County Fire Department and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office conducted assessments of the county-wide areas affected by the earthquake. By 5 PM, the Sheriff’s Emergency Services Office issued the following:
- Fortunately, there have been no injuries or any notable structural damage reported.
- Minor damage occurred to four buildings at Thomas Aquinas College in Ojai, including cracks in the drywall. Additional inspections will be necessary for the clock tower, which sustained extra damage.
- Initial inspections of Southern California Gas Company and Southern California Edison utility facilities revealed no issues.
- The county’s highly trained aviation unit has successfully conducted thorough aerial inspections over Ojai City, Lake Casitas Dam, and Matilija Dam, reassuring us with their report of no issues were detected.
- Immediately after the earthquake, Ojai Mayor Betsy Sticks mentioned that at least one power line fell on Fulton Street in the city. Reports also came in about groceries falling off shelves in Ojai, Fillmore, and Santa Paula.
Cashier Francis Fitting of Rens said of the earthquake, “It knocked items off the shelves here. We’re cleaning up and making sure everyone is okay. No one was injured.”
Fitting received an alert shortly after the tremors stopped, indicating that the epicenter of the earthquake was just a few miles from the store.
She commented, “I’ve lived in San Francisco, so earthquakes aren’t new to me. But this was probably one of the strongest ones I’ve experienced.”
She described the earthquake as “quite fast” and noted that the area was experiencing continuous aftershocks.
She added, “We still have power, and most things are still intact.”
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones, during a live broadcast, mentioned that Sunday’s earthquake was the first with a magnitude of 5.0 or higher in the region since 1941.
After an Earthquake during Hurricane Hilary strikes Southern California, social media erupts.
Recent meteorological events in California have given rise to a new term, the convergence of two extreme weather phenomena. Following Hurricane Hilary, an earthquake occurred, and the term #Hurriquake started trending on Twitter. Even Merriam-Webster acknowledged that this was “new” for them.
In the modern age, occurrences of hurricanes and earthquakes happening together are rare, and social media users immediately pointed this out. After the earthquake, #Hurriquake started trending on Twitter. Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones has stated that there is a 5% chance of a significant earthquake hitting Los Angeles soon.
California was drenched in record-breaking rainfall by the recent heatwave hurricane Hilary, soaking Southern California before making its way to Nevada, leading to school closures, road shutdowns, and business disruptions.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California had previously declared a state of emergency in most parts of the drought-stricken region, where a sudden flood warning remained effective until Monday morning.
The Los Angeles branch of the National Weather Service reported that numerous daily rainfall records were shattered overnight in the region.
Even before the arrival of Hurricane Hilary, people were on edge as a 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit the city of Ojai in Southern California. Rest assured, there have been no immediate accounts of harm or casualties.
Hilary’s deluge left roads waterlogged, transformed highways into rivers, and trapped some motorists.
Public schools experienced a widespread one-day delay at the start of the academic year, with classes postponed in several school districts, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Palmdale.
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At its peak, Category 4 Hurricane Hilary, the second most powerful on the Saffir-Simpson scale, was downgraded to a tropical storm, which later transformed into a northward-moving extratropical cyclone, impacting the United States from Mexico.
