Small Earthquake Rattles East San Diego County

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA – A magnitude 3.1 earthquake rattled East San Diego County early Tuesday and "scared the hell" out of an employee at the 24-hour gas station in the rural town of Santa Ysabel.

"It shook the whole building," said Suzy Loux, who was working at the Ramco Petroleum station and mini-mart when the earthquake struck at 5:05 a.m.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake had a depth of 2.7 kilometers and its epicenter was about 5 miles northwest of Julian. The quake was felt in Julian and Santa Ysabel, as well as Ranchita, Warner Springs, Ramona, Descanso, Alpine, Poway and elsewhere in San Diego County.

There were no reports of injuries or damage from the small tremor, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

But Loux said the quake felt strong.

"It wasn't enough to knock anything down, knock any alcohol bottles off the shelf," she said. "But it shook the whole building ... It scared the hell out of me."

City News Service and Kristina Houck/Patch contributed to this report.

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