usgs earthquake

Small earthquakes hit Chino Hills area; no damage or injuries reported.



A small earthquake struck the Chino Hills area today, the latest in a series of minor tremors that have hit the hilly suburban community this weekend.

Today’s 1.5-magnitude quake struck at 6:32 a.m. two miles west of the city and 8.3 miles below the surface, according to the United States Geological Survey. It was at least the seventh small quake in the area since Friday. The largest was a 1.9-magnitude temblor on Friday night, followed by a 1.8 jolt Saturday and others leading to today’s activity, according to a USGS website.

The quakes caused no apparent damage.Last July, a 5.4-magnitude quake struck below Chino Hills and was felt as far away as Las Vegas. Only minor injuries were reported in that shake, including five people at a Wilshire district building in Los Angeles.

The series of Chino Hills quakes comes amid a swarm of small-to-moderate earthquakes that have hit the remote desert area around the Salton Sea southeast of Indio. Hundreds of shakers were recorded over the last eight days; the largest was a 4.8 jolt Tuesday.

Some scientists worry about quakes in that area, including swarms of tremors that come in waves roughly every couple of years around the Salton Sea. The scientists say a strong earthquake that begins at the sea’s Bombay Beach community and moves northwest along the San Andreas fault could be devastating for Los Angeles.