A 5.1.-magnitude 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 2.41 p.m. quake occurred on the Sisar fault system southeast of Ojai, according to the County of Ventura, 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 Department 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 3.2 to 3.9 magnitude.
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.