Southern California Shaken by 5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Today

🌍 Southern California Rattled by 5.2 Quake — No Major Damage, But Elephants React Dramatically

A 5.2-magnitude earthquake jolted Southern California on Monday morning, triggering rockslides, causing shelves to shake, and prompting a herd of elephants at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park to encircle their young in an instinctive protective formation. No injuries or serious damage were reported by authorities.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake struck at 10:08 a.m. local time, its epicenter located just a couple of miles from Julian, a mountain town in San Diego County famed for its apple pie shops. Tremors were felt as far north as Los Angeles County, roughly 120 miles (193 km) away. The event was followed by multiple aftershocks.

🏚️ Julian Rattled, But Safe

Paul Nelson, who runs a former 1870s gold mine in Julian, said, “I thought the single-pane windows might shatter because they were shaking so much, but they held.”

A few items fell inside the mine’s gift shop, but no structural damage occurred. Interestingly, a smaller quake on Sunday hit during a tour of the mine, but visitors stayed calm.

🚧 Road Hazards and Inspections Underway

Transportation crews were dispatched to monitor highways for damage and clear debris. State Route 76, northwest of Julian, saw rocks fall from hillsides. The California Department of Transportation urged caution and began inspections.

🐘 Zoo Elephants Form Protective Circle

At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, elephants quickly moved to shield their calves, forming an “alert circle”, a behavior triggered by their ability to detect seismic activity through their feet. Ndlula, Umngani, Khosi, Zuli, and Mkhaya were seen responding before relaxing minutes later.

🚄 Transit & Schools Respond

North County Transit District trains were briefly delayed for track inspections, and schoolchildren were escorted outside as a precaution, said Capt. Thomas Shoots of Cal Fire.
“There was a lot of shaking and rattling, but thankfully things are back to normal,” he added.

🍰 Local Business Reaction

At Julian Cafe & Bakery, owner Riley Ozuna reported minor disturbances: “A few cups hit the floor, but otherwise, we’re all good.”

🌐 Seismic Background & ShakeAlert Confusion

The quake occurred 8.3 miles (13.4 km) underground near the Elsinore fault zone, a segment of the San Andreas fault system.
Seismologist Lucy Jones confirmed that Sunday’s 3.5 quake was a foreshock to Monday’s main event.

Many locals received ShakeAlert notifications moments before or just as the tremor hit. However, residents over 2,000 miles away in Michigan—still recovering from an ice storm—mistakenly received alerts due to California-based mobile towers temporarily in use.

“It was weird timing,” said Lt. Ashley Miller. “People here were already on edge from the storm.”

🔖 Tags

Southern California earthquake, San Diego quake, Julian California, 5.2 magnitude quake, Elsinore fault, San Andreas fault, ShakeAlert, zoo elephant reaction, California tremors, Lucy Jones, seismic activity, California road hazard, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, earthquake aftershocks

For more updates, visit www.iasmania.com. Please share your thoughts and comments.

If you’re passionate about building a successful blogging website, check out this helpful guide at Coding Tag – How to Start a Successful Blog. It offers practical steps and expert tips to kickstart your blogging journey!