A 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck California’s Central Valley on Monday, shaking up Bakersfield.
The epicenter was located in farmland about 19 miles southwest of Bakersfield and about 16 miles northwest of the northern edge of the Grapevine section of Highway 5, where the San Joaquin Valley ends at the base of the Tehachapi Mountains.
Weak tremors were felt in Bakersfield and possibly in LeBec and Fraser Park along the border of Los Angeles and Kern counties, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred at 3:31 p.m.
The area has experienced devastating earthquakes in the past. A 1952 magnitude 7.5 earthquake was centered about 12 miles southeast of Monday’s quake.
The earthquake shook Bakersfield, killing 12 people and causing some buildings to collapse, with the most damage in the town of Tehachapi. Losses were also reported in Bakersfield and Alvin.
The 1952 earthquake was felt across the state, splashing water from swimming pools in the Los Angeles area and from pressure tanks on top of buildings in San Francisco. At least one building in San Diego was damaged.
Property damage at the time was estimated at $60 million, equivalent to $690 million today, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
Southern California has been seismically active over the past few days.
On Monday morning, a magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck underground in East Los Angeles. The earthquake, which struck at 5:07 a.m., was the third to hit Los Angeles’ El Sereno neighborhood this month.
A magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck the Yorba Linda area at 5:26 pm on Sunday.
