Amid a moderate quake swarm, a strong 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck in the Gulf of California in Mexico on Monday, shaking buildings as far north as Los Angeles.
The first quake struck at 10:55 a.m., about 47 miles northeast of Santa Isabel in Baja, and had a magnitude of 5.8, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center. The 6.9 quake followed five minutes later. Officials said the two quakes were located between six and nine miles deep, a relatively shallow depth that often tends to cause more severe damage than deeper temblors. Two more quakes followed, a 5.0 at 11:33 a.m. and a 5.9 at 11:40 a.m.
No damage or injuries were reported, although news reports said the quakes were felt as far away as Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego. Santa Isabel is about 360 miles southeast of San Diego.
Despite the shallow depth, the quakes did not trigger a tsunami warning from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
— Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen can be reached at wmacfadyen@noozhawk.com.
