Southern California Earthquakes Continue

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Powerful earthquake swarm in Southern California / Mexico border – Minor damage + shaking video

Last update: August 27, 2012 at 12:32 am by By

Update 00:32 UTC :
– New M4.7 aftershock, one more of an impressive number of aftershocks
– Some trailers are simply being knocked off from their foundations
– The number of earthquakes recorded in the Imperial area must run into the hundreds (including the less than M2.5 earthquakes)

Click on the image for the normal size

Update 22:17 UTC :
– Minor damage is being reported in Brawley. No houses have collapsed and we do not expect to find such damage, however some structural damage has been reported in a number of buildings. Click on the Thumbnail to watch the image in the local Imperial Valley Press

Update 22:06 UTC
– Power has been restored in some Brawley areas but not yet everywhere.
– The earthquakes were also registered on the seismographs in Los Angeles. ABC7 network has a live Quake cam on the Internet. Click here to watch it Live

Update 21:46 UTC
– The last comparable seismic swarm in Brawley dates from 1970. Another one occurred in the 1930′s
– Some buildings in Brawley were evacuated after the first stronger quakes. People will probably stay outside for a while which is good in case other even stronger quakes would strike.
– The Brawley zone is a complex seismic area of smaller faults. The San Andreas main Fault runs from near Palm Springs to enter Mexico just west of Yuma.

The video below shows the strong shaking in Brawley, California. A family is enjoying sitting together in the living room when suddenly the shaking starts (after 25 seconds)

Update 21:38 UTC
– Damage assessments are currently being executed in the Brawley area.
– Imperial County has begun operating a “County Emergency Headquarters”
– Brawley has a population of 24,953 (latest census), not a small village. The town has a significant cattle and feed industry, and hosts the annual Cattle Call Rodeo. Year-round agriculture is an important economic activity in Brawley.
– Brawley has also a Geothermal power plan

Update 21:26 UTC
– Based on the reports we receive from our readers, the shaking seems to have lasted only a few seconds. Short shaking is seldom damaging. The longer the shaking is lasting the more chance on damages.
– 17 aftershocks in between M2.5 and M4.3 in only 26 minutes

Shaking map of the latest M5.4 earthquake at 21:57 UTC

Update 21:16 UTC
– The last strong earthquake has currently been labeled M5.4 at a shallow depth of 8.9 km. Epicenter 5 km North of Brawley
– Intensities of MMI IV to VI are reported in the epicenter area

Update 21:10 UTC
– There are scattered power outages in the Brawley area and out at Naval Air Facility El Centro, said Marion Champion, spokeswoman for the Imperial Irrigation District. More than 1,000 customers were out of power temporarily. Crews are out checking for damage.
– Pioneers Memorial Hospital has been evacuated, and patient have been moved to the wound care center.  Though there has not been reports of major damage at the hospital, patients had asked to be evacuated because they were scared. Glass had been broken inside the hospital.
(messages courtesy Imperial Valley press)

Important Update 21:03 UTC
A new strong M5.4 earthquake (preliminary value) had happened a few minutes ago
– The National Weather Service reports a preliminary Magnitude of M5.6!
– Epicenter a few km NNW of Brawley

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/08/26/powerful-earthquake-swarm-in-southern-california-mexico-border/