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REGION: Three quakes hit Palomar region
Shaking felt in two counties, no major damage reported
By DAVE DOWNEY and COLLEEN MENSCHING - Staff Writers | ∞
Striking in the early morning a few days after the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history, Monday's magnitude 4.1 shaker was a wake-up call for residents of San Diego and Riverside counties, but little more.
After jolting people out of their beds as far away as Twentynine Palms and the U.S.-Mexico border, the earthquake centered 10 miles north of the Palomar Observatory was followed by a tiny aftershock of magnitude 1.0 five minutes later.
That was followed by a much larger aftershock of magnitude 3.8 at 9:41 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
All three quakes came from roughly the same location just north of the Riverside-San Diego county line, near the community of Aguanga. The shaking was centered 20 miles east of Temecula and 30 miles north of Escondido.
No injuries or damage were reported.
While some people felt all three shakers, the epicenter of the talk was on the strongest initial jerk.
"We felt the earthquake pretty well, but nothing fell off shelves," said Pam Nelson, who lives near the county line. "It was just a big jerk."
Ida Martin of Aguanga said it was a strong enough jerk to wake her up.
"Nothing fell. No pictures collapsed. Everything was fine," Martin said.
But it shook her two cats, who were on the bed at the time.
"The cats felt it because they looked right at me, as if to say, 'What was that?'" Martin said.
Battalion Chief Cliff Kellogg of the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department said he was already awake when the first quake hit.
"I felt kind of a wavy little movement and all of a sudden she hit," Kellogg said.
Kellogg said he and Chief George Lucia immediately went to the fire station to temporarily move vehicles out of their bays and assess whether the station or the engines had been damaged. They had not.
As scientists gathered to assess the implications of the flurry of quakes, they were intrigued by the size of the second aftershock.
Debi Kilb, a seismologist with UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said it is quite rare to have one that strong. Normally, she said, aftershocks tend to be at least one magnitude below the initial quake.
Kilb also said seismologists will be watching to see if there is any other shaking over the next few days. There is a small chance, though an unlikely one, that the two jolts of comparable size could signal that a swarm of similar-sized quakes are set to hit, she said.
Kilb said she, too, felt the jolt in her two-story home in Carmel Valley.
"It was pretty short," she said. "It was a strong burst and then it ended."
Contact staff writer Colleen Mensching at (760) 739-6675 or cmensching@nctimes.com. Contact staff writer Dave Downey at (760) 745-6611, Ext. 2623, or ddowney@nctimes.com.
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Cimarron wrote on Nov 17, 2008 10:13 AM:As an update, another quake occurred at the same spot at 9:41 a.m. measuring 3.8.
Be prepared wrote on Nov 17, 2008 10:59 AM:This one woke up myself and some of my neighbors in San Marcos. We talked for a little while about it and I was surprised to find out that my neighbors have never thought about storing water! We would be in huge trouble if the California Aqueduct is severed in an earthquake (very possible as it passes over the San Andreas Fault and other fault lines.) My husband and I have 3 kids and are in an apartment, yet we've found room in the closets to store extra water. Another great reason to have a desalinization plant in Carlsbad!
chatter wrote on Nov 17, 2008 11:02 AM:http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/32.34.-118.-116.php for the current quake reports gov site
Temecula Resident wrote on Nov 17, 2008 12:28 PM:The 4:30 one woke us up here with the rattling of windows and the 9:30am one, which was more of a jolt, got my heart pounding. Good idea about the water. Guess we are naive thinking the Big One won't happen.
Vista Resident wrote on Nov 17, 2008 2:17 PM:I was jolted awake at 4:30am and wasn't sure if it was an earthquake or not. My husband was out of town so I couldn't ask him if he felt what I felt. I couldn't get back to sleep. Definitely raised my blood pressure. I can't imagine a larger one.
the big one wrote on Nov 17, 2008 4:46 PM:near be prepared. store water and some mre's if you have some.
Murrieta Resident wrote on Nov 17, 2008 6:02 PM:I felt neither, though other Murrieta residents did. We just had an earthquake drill last Friday and it's never too late to prepare. Yes, water is the main thing. Also, know where your meds are, keep a flashlight by your bed.
quake wrote on Nov 17, 2008 6:18 PM:I've experience many earthquakes and this one didn't feel like 4.1, more like 3.7...with the after shocks 3.0
For those of you NOT used to earthquakes, go outside and look at your escape routes...do you see utilities overhead, old buildings...all of these in a big earthquake can and most likely, will come down...always have water stored, dry food, and extra clothing stashed away some place..just in case.
Todays earthquake was rather non eventful but, always be prepared!
local wrote on Nov 18, 2008 1:26 AM:I was awakened by the first one here in Escondido and felt the one at 9:41. It reminded me that 'the wiseman built his house upon a rock.'
JSten wrote on Nov 18, 2008 3:50 AM:Look around you
This is earthquake country.
If you are afraid, don't get in your car. It is much more dangerous.
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