Did you feel that? If you're in Long Beach, you probably just had that split-second internal debate we all do: "Is that a big truck passing by, or are we actually going for a ride?"
It turns out, the rattling windows weren't just the wind. A minor earthquake in Long Beach CA today gave the coast a bit of a jolt, reminding everyone from Belmont Shore to Bixby Knolls that we live on some of the most restless ground in the country. While it wasn't a "Big One" by any stretch, it was definitely enough to make the coffee splash in your mug.
What actually happened in Long Beach today?
The shaking hit earlier today, and honestly, it was one of those quick, sharp jolts rather than a long, rolling sway. According to the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey), the quake was relatively shallow. That’s usually why people feel it so intensely even when the magnitude isn't particularly high.
When a quake happens at a depth of only a few miles, the energy doesn't have much dirt and rock to travel through before it hits your floorboards. It’s a punchy, vertical vibration. You might have heard a loud "boom" or a crackling sound in your walls right as it happened. That’s the P-wave hitting your house before the actual shaking (the S-wave) arrives.
We’re seeing reports from folks over near the Long Beach Airport and down by the Queen Mary who felt a quick "shiver."
The numbers at a glance
- Magnitude: It’s currently being clocked as a minor event (preliminary data often shifts as seismologists review the wave forms).
- Epicenter: Located just a few miles off the coast or near the Newport-Inglewood Fault zone.
- Depth: Shallow, which explains why the "perceived shaking" was higher for some residents.
Why Long Beach is such a magnet for these shakes
It’s no secret that Southern California is a jigsaw puzzle of tectonic plates. But Long Beach sits in a particularly "interesting" spot. We aren't just dealing with the massive San Andreas Fault—that's actually miles away to the east.
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The real local player is the Newport-Inglewood Fault.
This is the same fault that caused the devastating 1933 Long Beach earthquake. While today was nowhere near that level of intensity, it’s a reminder that this specific fault line runs right under our feet, through Signal Hill and down toward Seal Beach. It’s a "strike-slip" fault, meaning the two sides of the earth are trying to slide past each other horizontally. Sometimes they get stuck. When they finally slip, we get the jolt.
Is this a "foreshock" for something bigger?
This is the question everyone asks on Twitter (or X, whatever we're calling it now) the second the ground stops moving. "Is this the precursor?"
Dr. Lucy Jones, the legendary SoCal "Earthquake Lady," has often pointed out that while every earthquake has a roughly 5% chance of being followed by a larger one within a few days, most of the time, a small quake is just a small quake. It’s the earth releasing a tiny bit of built-up steam.
In fact, Southern California experiences hundreds of these tiny "micro-quakes" every single week. Most are too small for us to feel. Today’s earthquake in Long Beach CA today just happened to be large enough and shallow enough to break through our daily sensory threshold.
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Real talk: What you should do right now
If you felt it, your house just went through a stress test. Most modern Long Beach homes are built to flex, but older California bungalows—especially the beautiful ones in the Rose Park or Willmore districts—can be a bit more brittle.
- Check your gas lines. Honestly, this is the big one. If you smell even a faint hint of rotten eggs, get out and call SoCalGas. Don't flip any light switches if you smell gas; a tiny spark is all it takes.
- Look for new cracks. Walk around the exterior of your home. Are there new diagonal cracks near the corners of your windows or doors? Those are classic signs of seismic stress.
- Secure the "falling" hazards. Did a picture frame tilt? Did a vase almost walk off the shelf? That’s your warning. Use some "museum wax" or "quake putty" on those items tonight. Next time might be a 5.0 instead of a 3.0.
The "Hidden" danger: Soil liquefaction
Long Beach has a unique geological quirk: a lot of our land is reclaimed or sits on very sandy, water-saturated soil. This is especially true near the Port and Naples.
During heavy shaking, this soil can undergo liquefaction. Basically, the ground turns into a liquid soup for a few seconds. While today's quake wasn't strong enough to cause your house to sink, it’s a good reason to check your foundation if you live in those low-lying coastal areas.
Staying informed without the panic
Social media is great for seeing "Did anyone else feel that?" but it's terrible for actual data. For the real science, you'll want to keep the USGS "Did You Feel It?" page bookmarked. They actually use your reports to map out how the shaking intensity varied from street to street.
It’s kinda cool—you contribute to the science by just clicking a few buttons about whether your lamps swung or your dog barked.
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Your immediate checklist for the next hour
Forget the "Ultimate Guides" for a second. Let's talk about what matters in the next sixty minutes.
First, make sure your shoes are near your bed tonight. If an aftershock hits at 2:00 AM and breaks a glass, you don't want to be walking through the dark in bare feet. Second, check on your neighbors, especially the elderly ones who might have been rattled by the noise.
Basically, today was a "polite" earthquake. It gave us a wake-up call without causing real damage. Take the hint. Double-check your emergency water supply and make sure your "go-bag" isn't buried under a pile of old gym clothes in the garage.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Report your experience: Head to the USGS website and fill out a "Did You Feel It?" report to help seismologists map the Newport-Inglewood Fault's behavior.
- Inspect your water heater: Ensure it is strapped tightly to the wall studs. This is a leading cause of fire and flooding after larger shakes.
- Refresh your kit: Replace any expired food or water in your earthquake kit tonight while the motivation is still fresh.