by Lynette Alice

Created on: March 16, 2010

At just after 4:00am PST on 3/16/2010, Los Angeles felt the rumble of an earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey reported the epicenter about a mile outside of Pico Rivera which is approximately eleven miles from the Los Angeles Civic Center. The most accurate reports have measured the L.A. earthquake at a magnitude of 4.4 on the Richter Scale which in comparison to recent events was quite mild.

Many residents were understandably more concerned than usual given the recent earthquakes to jolt the planet - most notably in Haiti and Chile. While the tremors were high intensity and certainly frightening, damage was minimal with no loss of life reported to this point. While inspections will be ongoing, there has also not been any report of major structural damage to any buildings - power service was even maintained throughout the quake or returned within seconds in all reporting locations.

To this point the only serious damage reported is in regards to the southbound lane on the I-5 south of Downey where some concrete buckled but did not seriously hinder motorists. A few isolated roadways were impacted by the quake, but the Department of Transportation reports they are being handled post haste and should be resolved quickly. Aside from minor interior damage to dwellings along the lines of fallen shelves and things of that nature, damage has been minimal.

Most residents have commented that the earthquake was scarier than usual, but overall not that bad in comparison to others. The U’S. Geological Survey reminds residents that aftershocks will occur, but most Californians are well aware of that. They also released the below data on the Los Angeles Earthquake regarding precise readings:

Magnitude: 4.4
Date/Time

* Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 11:04:00 UTC
* Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 04:04:00 in the epicenter of the quake
* Time of earthquakes in other time zones

Site 33,992 ° N, 118.082 ° W
Depth of 18.9 kilometers (11.7 miles) away
The wider region district of Los Angeles, California
Distances

* 1 km (0 miles) east (62 degrees) from Pico Rivera, California
* 4 kilometers (2 miles) south-east (129 degrees) of Montebello, California
* 5 kilometers (3 miles) SSW (212 degrees) of the Whittier Narrows recommendation. Region, California
* 8 km (5 miles) north-east (37 degrees) of Downey, California
* 17 kilometers (10 miles) east (115 degrees) of the Los Angeles Civic Center, California

All told, the Los Angeles earthquake was not nearly as bad as it could have been. Thanks in large part to structurally sound buildings and a prepared and veteran populace, this was not a disaster.

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