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Expert: 1 in 20 chance of larger quake in LA

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-05-18 22:25

LOS ANGELES -- Seismologists are warning Los Angeles-area residents to expect more aftershocks after a moderate earthquake shattered glass, rattled nerves and sent at least one person to the hospital.

Sunday night's magnitude-4.7 quake was centered about 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles and three miles east of Los Angeles International Airport, according to a preliminary report by the US Geological Survey. The quake was followed by at least five smaller aftershocks, with the largest registering at magnitude-3.1.

File photo shows firefighters taking part in an earthquake drill last year in the Los Angeles area city of Burbank, California. [Agencies]

USGS seismologist Susan Hough said there would likely be more aftershocks in the "threes, maybe a four," and there was a 5 percent chance of a larger quake.

"People should be on their toes," she said.

The quake jiggled the greater Los Angeles region for about 10 to 15 seconds and was felt as far south as San Diego, Hough said.

"This was a serious jolt," she said.

The shaking was most intense in the coastal communities south of LAX. Some residents said books and other items were knocked off the shelves.

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Glass broke at a Starbucks in Torrance, and one person there had minor injuries and was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital, Torrance Fire Department dispatchers said. There was no further information on the injury or the patient, they said.

Television images showed a Long Beach drapery business that had its storefront window knocked out.

"It was pretty strong," owner John Sousa told KABC-TV as he stood on the sidewalk outside Blue Ribbon Drapery. "It's a little strange, but I expected it was going to happen sometime," he said.

Tiles fell from a movie theater ceiling during a screening of "Angels and Demons" at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach and moviegoers fled from the theater. Firefighters were called to repair a damaged light pole in Hawthorne, the Los Angeles Times said. No injuries were reported in either incident.

Tom Oswalt, 46, said he was packing clothes for a business trip at his home in Long Beach when the shaking started.

"First thing I thought was 'Is this the big one?' It was pretty powerful," he said. "My first thought was to get out of the building, get my dog and get out of the building. Now we're just waiting for aftershocks."

However, some people who live north of downtown Los Angeles either felt a light shake or nothing at all.

The last damaging earthquake in Southern California was the 1994 magnitude-6.7 Northridge quake that toppled bridges and buildings.

Since Northridge, the region has been in a relative seismic lull, but activity picked up within the past year.

Last summer, a 5.4-magnitude quake centered east of Los Angeles rattled windows and made buildings sway, but did not cause major damage. It was the strongest quake to hit since Northridge.

Earlier this year, scientists kept close watch on an earthquake swarm near the southern end of the San Andreas Fault that shook the desert, but did not cause injuries.

"We've had quiet and active times," said USGS seismologist Lucy Jones. "The activity that we've seen in the past year isn't the highest by a long shot, but I would no longer call Los Angeles quiet."