4.4 earthquake rattles Southern California

A 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook Southern California Monday afternoon. It happened at around 12:20 p.m. PDT, about two miles from the city of South Pasadena in Los Angeles County, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

This was the largest earthquake to hit the Los Angeles area since a magnitude 4.6 struck near Malibu, California, on Feb. 9, 2024.

(Image credit: USGS)

Several earthquake-related incidents were reported in the city of Pasadena after the quake. One person was trapped inside an elevator, according to NBC 4 Los Angeles, and a water pipe burst in front of city hall, the city's public information officer said. The building was evacuated as water cascaded off the roof. Employees were eventually allowed back into the building just over an hour after the quake initially struck.

The region is no stranger to quakes of this size. Last week, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake near Bakersfield rumbled through Southern California, and on July 29, a 4.9-magnitude earthquake in Barstow hit Southern California. Both earthquakes were felt in the Los Angeles region.