Earthquake: Did You Feel the 3.2 Quake?

Belmont Shore residents today felt a 3.2 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter in Long Beach.

According to the US Geological Survey, the quake’s epicenter was just five miles away from Seal Beach and Rossmoor.

Scientists pinpoint the quake as coming from beneath Recreation Park at East Seventh Street and Park Avenue. It struck at 2:44 p.m.

Residents from as far away as Camarillo and Palmdale reported feeling the quake. No serious damage has been reported.

Belmont Shore resident Deborah Schoch said she was on the telephone when she felt the shaking.

It was, Schoch said, "a short series of jolts that rattled the glassware and strained the wooden beams of my late 1920s home on Colorado Street.
"It was a mild earthquake, but strong enough to make me wonder if I should be ducking under the dining room table.  We do live nearly atop the Newport-Inglewood fault, after all," Schoch told Patch.

The Newport-Inglewood fault runs from Belmont Shore into Seal Beach near the Marina Bridge and heads under the Hill neighborhood, the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station and the National Wildlife Refuge before heading south into Sunset Beach, according to the USGS.

In 1933, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Long Beach caused significant damage to Seal Beach, destroying portions of the old Zoeter School.

"This house survived the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, so it's not going to cave in a 3.1 earthquake like the one today," Schoch said. "Still, I got on the Caltech website and found that the epicenter was at the northeast corner of Termino and 5th, a five-minute walk from my house."

According to Seal Beach’s Emergency Operations Plan, the major threat from an earthquake is a process called liquefaction in which major shaking blends soil and water, destabilizing structures above.

The other earthquake concern for the area is the tsunami resulting from a quake. Any tsunami affecting Seal Beach would likely be caused by an earthquake very far away, such as the Alaskan 8.4 magnitude quake in 1964 that caused 5-foot tidal surges in Seal Beach. Today, the city has a reverse 911 system in place in to issue tsunami warnings. All phones in your household should and can be registered by signing up at OC Alert.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there have been two earthquakes of late that Seal Beach and Rossmoor residents may have felt, including a 3.8-quake in November with an epicenter just off the coast and a smaller, end-of-December-d2.0 quake with its epicenter in Long Beach.

According to Seal Beach’s Emergency Operations Plan, the major threat from an earthquake is a process called liquefaction in which major shaking blends soil and water, destabilizing structures above.

The other earthquake concern for the area is the tsunami resulting from a quake. Any tsunami affecting Seal Beach would likely be caused by an earthquake very far away, such as the Alaskan 8.4 magnitude quake in 1964 that caused 5-foot tidal surges in Seal Beach. Today, the city has a reverse 911 system in place in to issue tsunami warnings. All phones in your household should and can be registered by signing up at OC Alert.

Officials offer these steps to deal with a natural disaster:

1. Make a Kit 

Have a seven-day supply of:

• Non-perishable food (canned, no-cook, packaged) and a manual can opener.
• Water (1 gallon per person or pet per day)
• First-aid kit (including first-aid manual)
• Medications (prescription and non-prescription) and eyeglasses
• Battery-powered flashlight, radio, and batteries.
• Personal-hygiene items; toilet paper, paper towels and large trash bags for trash.
• Copies of important documents.
• Items for pets (food, water, cages/leashes).
• Items for infants (formula, diapers, etc.).
• Tools (including duct tape, neon-colored tape or rope to block off dangerous areas).
• Have smaller-sized kits for your car and workplace.
• Cash in small denominations ($1, $5, $10) (ATMS and credit cards do not work if the power is out).
• Fire extinguisher (A-B-C type).
• Protective eye goggles, gloves, face mask and hardhat.
• Whistle
• Change of clothing and sturdy shoes.
• Names, address and phone numbers of doctors and pharmacists.
• Camp stove or charcoal grill for outdoor cooking.
• Keep the kit in a sturdy and easy-to-carry container.