Latest updates on the Los Angeles earthquake

On Tuesday, July 29, 2008, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in Los Angeles, California, USA. Many residents felt the strong earthquake. Only a few people were injured, but there was no serious property damage or casualties. In April this year, a 5.4-magnitude earthquake also occurred in southern California. California Governor Schwarzenegger said this earthquake reminded us to be prepared. Fortunately, there were no serious casualties or property losses. Los Angeles police said there was some structural damage to a downtown hotel but no injuries. A White House spokesman said there were unconfirmed reports of minor injuries. A magnitude 5.4 earthquake, considered "moderate" by the U.S. Geological Survey, can cause minor damage to buildings and other structures. So far this year, there have been 39 "moderate" earthquakes with magnitudes between 5.0 and 5.9 in the United States and 790 globally.

"This is just an attempt, a small attempt," said Kate Hutton, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology. "This is small and mild. This earthquake could be a bigger one." "There is a 5% chance of an earthquake precursor," but after 24 hours, the chance will drop to 1%. She also reminded the people that it could happen at any time.

According to seismic data released by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake

magnitude was 5.4 on the Richter scale. Initially, the agency had announced that the magnitude was 5.8. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in Chino Hills, San Bernardino County (belonging to the greater Los Angeles area), 46 kilometers east of downtown Los Angeles, with a focal depth of 13.6 kilometers. Los Angeles County Emergency Command Center officials said there were no reports of casualties or major property damage. However, the Los Angeles Police Department reported minor building damage to the USC Medical Center in Los Angeles.

California Governor Schwarzenegger has activated the emergency response mechanism. Emergency department officials called on the public to reduce unnecessary cell phone calls because the mobile communication system in Southern California was severely overloaded. After the earthquake, due to a large number of people calling their mobile phones at the same time, the mobile phone system in the Los Angeles area was almost paralyzed. The mobile phones showed that they had signals, but they were unable to make calls. Twenty or thirty minutes after the earthquake, the mobile communication system gradually recovered.

Caltrans officials said that the earthquake did not interrupt the highway traffic system in the Los Angeles area. The traffic order was as usual, the traffic flow was not blocked, and there were no accidents caused by the earthquake. The traffic management center is currently closely monitoring the situation. Monitor traffic conditions on highways and other roads.

In April 2008, an earthquake report jointly issued by the US Geological Survey and the University of Southern California Earthquake Research Center stated that within thirty years, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake similar to the 1994 Northridge Los Angeles earthquake would occur in Southern California. The probability of an earthquake is as high as 97 percent. In January 1994, an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale struck Northridge in the Los Angeles area, killing 72 people and causing economic losses of more than $25 billion. It was the most serious earthquake disaster in the history of Los Angeles.