Hundreds Of Earthquakes Strike SoCal Community In Seismic Swarm

BRAWLEY, CA — A massive swarm of earthquakes struck the rural Southern California community of Brawley over the weekend, peaking shortly after midnight with a 4.7-magnitude quake, according to authorities.

The U.S. Geological Survey recorded 353 earthquakes in the past day as of just before 10 a.m. Sunday in the immediate Brawley area in Imperial County. The survey in a social media post referred to the event as a seismic swarm.

The 4.7-magnitude quake struck around 12:10 a.m. Sunday, a little under 2 miles west-southwest of Brawley, with a depth of about 9 miles, according to the survey, which reported the quake was felt as far away as San Diego, Vista and Santee.

A 4.7-magnitude quake is often felt but typically causes only minor damage, according to Michigan Technological University. Sunday’s event caused no-to-light damage from shaking, the survey reported on social media, also noting that about 180,000 people did experience light to strong shaking.

The quake had 138 recorded aftershocks as of 6:47 a.m., according to the Southern California Seismic Network, ranging from magnitudes of 1.1 to 3.3. More aftershocks are expected in the coming days and there is a small chance of a larger quake.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services posted Sunday morning on social media that it was coordinating with local partners and continued to assess developments.

The seismic network has recorded 116 events with a magnitude of 4 or higher within 6.21 miles of Sunday’s event since its records began in 1932, with the largest being a 5.8-magnitude quake that occurred Oct. 16, 1979.