The quake centered in Ventura County was felt across parts of Southern California on Sunday afternoon, August 20, 2023
The quake centered in Ventura County was felt across parts of Southern California on Sunday afternoon. The center is reported to have been four miles southeast of Ojai, about 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Shaking was reported in Malibu, Porter Ranch, parts of Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach and other locations.A tornado warning has also been issued for San Diego and the surrounding Alpine and Descanso areas.
The National Weather Service released the warning at t 3:39 p.m. on Sunday local time, and will last until 4pm.
The United States Geological Survey, which reports and records earthquakes, said there were at least four aftershocks of magnitude-3.0 or greater.
It comes as Hurricane Hilary makes landfall in Southern California moving up from Mexico at speeds of 25mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Residents are contending with winds of 65mph and the expectation of torrential rain, that may bring up to ten inches in a matter of hours in some places.
At least one person has already died after their vehicle was swept away near Santa Rosalía, after catastrophic flooding swallowed parts of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told CBS during an interview on Sunday that residents can expect 'significant impact.'
Though the total amount of rain appears unlikely to exceed that of similar storms seen on the East Coast, people should not downplay the threat, Criswell added.
'People really need to take this storm in California serious,' she reiterated on ABC.
© GettyAn ambulance drives through a flooded street in Palm Springs, California as Tropical Storm Hilary approached on Sunday
California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on Saturday for a large swathe of his constituency adding: 'We're mobilizing all of government as we prepare and respond to this unprecedented storm.'
While a majority of people took shelter from the storm, others braved wet conditions to bask in the precursor to the storm which had grown to the size of the state of Arizona.
A few stragglers could be seen in rain jackets holding umbrellas as angry seas lashed at a pier in Imperial Beach, while some walked along the coastline while they still could.
Surfers relished the staggering walls of oceans being built on the coastline with thrill seekers attempting to make the most of the huge swells in Dana Point - despite beaches being closed in the region.
© MEGAShelves at grocery stores lay bare the urgency from a community unfamiliar with such storms as stores were left gutted
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has armed itself with a full staff and crews ready to work on restoring power and clearing downed trees or power lines, the utility said in a statement.
The city's reservoirs have 'sufficient capacity' to handle any increased runoff due to potential flooding, it added.
Electricity utility Southern California Edison, which serves more than 15 million people in the region, said Hilary is on track to impact much of its service area.
The company said it is preparing to respond to outages but urged residents to gather supplies including flashlights, external battery chargers and ice chests.
Forecasters warned that there could be historic flood impacts, especially for San Bernardino and Inyo counties, with Death Valley and Morongo Basin expected to see the most major flooding.
Roads could be closed in Death Valley and Highway 62 according to the Los Angeles Times.
It said high risk areas in LA County include the San Gabriel Mountains, the Antelope Valley - with rains triggering landslides, debris flow, mud flows and rock slides in those parts.
Peak wind gusts could hit as high as 81 mph at Joshua Tree National Park and 67 mph in Wrightwood.
In Anaheim peak gusts could hit 62 mph, 60 mph in Irvine, 58 in Palm Springs and Ontario, 54 in Big Bear Lake, 52 in Riverside, 46 in San Clemente, 43 in San Diego and 41 in San Bernardino.
In Los Angeles County, possible peak wind gusts could be 44 mph in Santa Clarita and Lancaster, 40 in Northridge and Westlake Village, 35 in Avalon on Catalina Island, 32 in Pomona, 31 in Pasadena, 30 in Long Beach, 29 in downtown Los Angeles and 26 in Redondo Beach.
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