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By Anna Skinner and Gabe Whisnant
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A magnitude 5.2 earthquake was detected, with the epicenter identified near the mountain town of Julian, east of San Diego, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The quake was felt as far north as Los Angeles.
Context
The earthquake struck at 10:08 a.m. local time just south of Julian, California. Within minutes, multiple aftershocks also rattled the area and could continue throughout the day.
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Nearly 40,000 people reported that they felt the quake, according to USGS.
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What to Know
The quake struck along the Elsinore Fault, which is "relatively quiet, normally," according to USGS seismologist Elizabeth Cochran told Newsweek. The quake was preceded by 14 foreshock events, Cochran said.
The largest foreshock was a magnitude 3.3, Lucy Jones, a visiting associate in geophysics and founder of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society, said. It hit the same area on Sunday and was considered a foreshock to this event.
"Every earthquake could be a foreshock to something bigger," Jones said in a press conference about the quake. "Essentially a foreshock is a main shock that happens to have a really big aftershock."
Jones said the quake on Monday was "felt over a very large area" from San Diego or even south of the California-Mexico border north to Los Angeles.
"That's what you would expect from a 5.2," she said.
Damage usually doesn't occur until an earthquake measures around a magnitude 4 or 5, the USGS said. Jones said the quake that struck near San Diego likely didn't cause any structural damage. Items could've been displaced from shelves, she said.
The Associated Press reported that San Diego law enforcement officials said there have been no immediate report of damage or injuries. Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the quake.
A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, from social media user @homieblogger allegedly shows an office building shaking during the quake, but Newsweek has not been able to independently verify the video.
The National Weather Service (NWS) office in San Diego said there was no tsunami expected after the quake.
At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a herd of African elephants was captured on video rushing to shield their young during Monday's earthquake, forming a protective circle around them in a behavior known as an "alert circle."
Aftershocks strike San Diego
In the hours since the 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck, multiple aftershocks have hit the same area.
According to USGS' list of latest earthquakes, there have been eight aftershocks reported near Julian, California. Most of them were around a 2.6 or 2.8 magnitude. The strongest was a magnitude 4.0 that struck less than 20 minutes after the magnitude 5.2.
The most recent aftershock struck just before 1:30 local time. It was a magnitude 2.9.
What People Are Saying
Collin Rugg on X, formerly Twitter, with a screenshot of the earthquake alert: "My entire building was shaking."
Social media user Justin Hart in a post on X: "We definitely felt this earthquake here in San Diego!"
Social media user Mike Gatto in a post on X: "In a restaurant in Los Angeles. We all got the #Earthquake notification on our phones. Nothing felt here. But we are all worried about San Diego."
What Happens Next
It is possible aftershocks will continue to occur. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that follow a larger earthquake.
Update 4/14/2025, 2 p.m. EST: This article was updated to include additional information.
Update 4/14/2025, 2:15 p.m. EST: This article was updated to include comment from the USGS.
Update 4/14/2025, 5:22 p.m. EST: This article was updated to include additional information.
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