Shallow M5.2 earthquake near San Diego triggers numerous aftershocks, Southern California
A shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.2 struck near Julian, San Diego County, at 17:08 UTC (10:08 local time) on April 14, 2025, shaking large areas of Southern California. The agency reports a depth of 14.3 km (9 miles).
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 4.8 km (3 miles) S of Julian, 18 km (11 miles) E of San Diego Country Estates, 25 km (15 miles) NNW of Pine Valley, and 59 km (36 miles) ENE of San Diego.
1 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 192 000 moderate, and 7 690 000 light.
Local media reports the quake lasted for about 5 seconds. No emergency calls for injuries or property damage were reported by local authorities.
More than 35 700 people reported feeling the quake.
In more populated areas along the coast, including parts of San Diego, shaking was categorized as “light,” sufficient to rattle dishes and windows but not strong enough to cause structural damage.
Reports show the quake was widely felt across the region, including into Los Angeles County and as far south as the Mexican border.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and reinforced masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and liquefaction that might have contributed to losses.
The USGS recorded a total of 74 earthquakes in the area between 22:54 UTC on April 13 and 18:29 UTC on April 14. This includes 17 foreshocks before the main M5.2 event and 56 aftershocks.
This region is part of the San Andreas Fault zone, which is known for its earthquake activity.
The quake triggered ShakeAlert’s early warnings, with some residents receiving alerts on their mobile devices several seconds before the primary shaking wave arrived. Reports posted on social media show the alert reached users in areas such as downtown San Diego in time to take precautionary measures.
However, other users noted that the warning arrived after the shaking had already started. Differences in alert timing are influenced by several factors, including proximity to the epicenter, the speed of data processing, and the method of alert delivery.
Update
08:44 UTC, April 15
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office confirmed that he was briefed shortly after the event and that state authorities are coordinating with local officials to assess damage and ensure appropriate emergency responses.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries.
At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, elephants were observed exhibiting protective behavior, forming circles around their young during the earthquake.
Some train services were temporarily delayed as a precaution while transportation authorities conducted inspections of roads and railways for potential damage.
Over 100 aftershocks were registered near Julian to 08:30 UTC today, with the strongest recorded as M4.0 at 18:23 UTC on April 14. Additional aftershocks are expected in the coming days.
Seismic wavefield animation by @JohnRekoske of today's M5.2 #Julian #earthquake showing the velocity of ground motion and capturing seismic waves reverberating in the LA basin. We use rapid earthquake information from @USGS_Quakes – and a supercomputer :)! @IGPP @Scripps_Ocean pic.twitter.com/069mMoWCDW
— Dr. Alice-Agnes Gabriel (@InSeismoland) April 14, 2025
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M5.2 earthquake Southern California – USGS – April 14, 2025
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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