Magnitude 5.1 earthquake shakes up Central Coast. Did you feel it?
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake centered near Ojai rolled through Santa Barbara on Sunday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
As of midnight, nearly 50 aftershocks had been recorded, several of them measuring nearly 4.0.
The quake was felt on Santa Barbara County’s South Coast and as far north as Solvang. It rumbled throughout Ventura County and was felt as far south as Long Beach.
The temblor occurred at 2:41 p.m. on the Sisar fault system southeast of Ojai, according to Ventura County, which reported no major damage or injuries.
“An aerial inspection of Lake Casitas Dam, Matilija Dam and the city of Ojai were completed by the Ventura County Aviation Unit with no issues to report,” the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said.
Later Sunday, the county said there was minor damage to four buildings and the bell tower at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, including cracks in drywall.
As of midnight, the USGS Earthquakes Map had recorded dozens of aftershocks to the initial 5.1 quake, including several in the range of magnitude 3.2 to 3.9.
Southern California seismologist Lucy Jones said in a social media post that the earthquake was preceded by a “small foreshock sequence” starting Saturday morning.
The USGS sent out a push alert as the earthquake was happening that said: “Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself. – USGS ShakeAlert.”
No tsunami was expected as a result of the earthquake, the National Weather Service said.
The quake comes less than two weeks after a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck west of Parkfield in southern Monterey County.
Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com.
