Feb. 15 (UPI) — Fire- and storm-ravaged Malibu, Calif., endured two relatively minor earthquakes followed by another in Idyllwild Saturday afternoon while West Texas recorded a 5.0 earthquake late Friday night.
A pair of earthquakes struck the greater Malibu area Friday night and Saturday morning. One measured a magnitude of 3.7 and occurred at 11:44 p.m. PST Friday followed by a 3.5-magintude earthquake at 6:30 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The first earthquake was centered 7.7 miles northwest of Malibu while the Saturday morning earthquake was centered 6.8 miles west-northwest of Malibu, CBS News reported.
No injuries or significant structural damage was reported due to the dual earthquakes, but tremors were felt in Long Beach, South Bay and the San Fernando Valley.
The relatively mild earthquakes could have caused greater-than-expected damage due to the recent wildfires and heavy rains that inundated the area and caused mud and debris flows in recent days.
A third earthquake measuring a magnitude of 3.5 occurred at 2:15 p.m. and some 7 miles south of Idyllwild in California’s Riverside County.
That earthquake was centered in the nearby San Jacinto Mountains and was felt in nearby communities, including Hemet and Palm Springs, CBS News reported.
No damages or injuries were reported due to that earthquake.
The 5.0-magintude West Texas earthquake occurred at 11:23 p.m. CST and was centered about 30 miles northwest of Toyah, which is located about 95 miles southeast of Odessa, the USGS reported.
Aftershocks were recorded within five minutes of the initial earthquake, which could be felt in El Paso and in Carlsbad, Roswell and Las Cruces, N.M., CNN reported.
No injuries were immediately reported in the sparsely populated area.
