5.3-magnitude quake, aftershocks rattle California
-A A +AMonday, October 22, 2012
SALINAS, California — A moderate earthquake and minor aftershocks jolted the central California coast over the weekend, but didn't cause any damage, authorities said.
Nearly 6,700 people reported feeling the magnitude 5.3-quake when it struck late Saturday outside of King City, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its website.
USGS geophysicist Don Blakeman said the temblor struck in a "seismically active area" near the San Andreas Fault, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southeast of San Jose. It was followed by at least four aftershocks that were greater than magnitude 2.5.
The area where the quake hit is a mostly rural area of rolling hills with large farms and ranches.
A magnitude 5-quake is capable of causing damage — most often knocking things off shelves and making moderate cracks in walls and foundations, the USGS said. The sheriff departments for Monterey and nearby San Luis Obispo counties said they received calls about the earthquake but no reports of damage.
Far to the north, a minor earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.5 rattled an area 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of Eureka, USGS said. Eureka police said no damage or injuries were reported.
The quake near Eureka was not related to the ones near King City, Blakeman said. (AP)
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