Los Angeles Earthquake Video

** Complete details about the Southern California earthquake here. Photos of the quake and related news are here. **

A strong earthquake shook Southern California on Tuesday, causing buildings to sway and triggering some precautionary evacuations.

The quake, which was downgraded to 5.4 from the initial reading of 5.8, was felt from Los Angeles to San Diego, and even slightly in Las Vegas.

Video of some of the earthquake damage from Fox News:

An LA teenager who happened to be filming when the quake began:

Reaction inside Los Angeles City Hall immediately after the quake hit:

Story continues below

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Some key details on the quake from a CalTech briefing held in the early afternoon:

Watch coverage from MSNBC:

From LA station KCBS:

From CNN:

More live earthquake feed from LA's Fox and NBC affiliates.

Comments

[BBackSoon]

Why would the Bush USGA downplay the reading?

What are they trying to hide?

[JScott]

I was just west of downtown near Lafayette Park on the 9th floor, bldg. shook and rolled for quite a long time, but at lunch on the street all seemed normal.

[Mojane]

De nada.

[Jocalo]

I felt it in Silver Lake/Los Feliz, it was strong enough for me to decide to get in a doorway with my son. I was in San Francisco during the 7.0 Loma Prieta earthquake in '89, so I'm a bit of an earthquake snob. Unless things are really shaking I generally don't even notice, but this one caught my attention. Perhaps it was because it didn't feel like a rolling earthquake, it was a jolt.

It seems that people are getting on here to scoff at those who have been shaken up by this earthquake, or those who think this might be news. What a strange thing to do. Even if all this earthquake does is serve as a drill and remind people to get ready for a "real" earthquake, that still has value. When the Big One hits California, it will impact the whole country. California is somewhere between the 7th and 10th largest economy in the world, right behind Italy. Our Federal tax dollars come out of California, and help build roads and schools in poor rural states that love to denigrate our state. It is in the best interest of everyone for California to take this little warning seriously.

[getoffmedz]

Jocalo - really well stated.

Nothing comes close to striking sheer blinding terror like a big earthquake. Not even al Qaeda.

[macbabe]

I live in Seattle, they scare the cr!@p out of me every-time, you NEVER get use to them!!... I hate it too when EVERYONE is trying to use their cell phone and airwaves get jammed!

[instagladiator]

I must say that I agree with you about the "reminder" - it's Mother Natures way of saying "Enough is enough!" or, as Buford T. Justice would say, "That! Was an attention gitter."

So are you saying that we MUST accept and abide by your feelings or else?

Why can you not just take this in stride, forget about it and carry on rather than rush to the nearest tv camera to "tell your story"? Let the rest of the country think what they will.

You do realize that we, from outside the state, see the majority of the people in California as Hollywood Wannabe's when these things happen?

And, not to worry, I've had my share of Mother Natures events - earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, turbulent sea's, etc. What puzzles me the most is; with all the technology and money spent on it, why is there no accurate or even semi-accurate predictions or warnings of these events? There's tons and tons of after-the-fact data, but that is totally useless and serves no purpose whatsoever because they haven't they been able to determine, from this past data, anything reliable system to warn about an upcoming event? Eh?

[Fudgefase]

I was sitting on the floor of a Highland cottage in Scotland when the bay outside the window was the epicentre for a 1.3.
I appreciate this is a tiddler - even by european standards - but I felt and heard every bit of it.
I was convinced the chimney was going to fall in.
I do not envy you guys proximity to the San Andreas faultline. I will not come over to the US - that way, you're guaranteed that the big one (destined to hit the minute I land on US soil) will never come....

[CitizenRob]

Drama queens. 5.4? Meh. It's a fun jolt.

It's so typical of LA residents to start screaming "LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME" over something so small.

[luckyoldson]

CitizenRob...you know trailers can be badly damaged in earthquakes.

[instagladiator]

So very true CR. Wonder what their response would be to a REAL earthquake?

[Chris1345]

Well our whole building was shaking all the way out here in San Bernardino. I was in a meeting at work, and a few things started falling off one the shelves, and everything was rocking...I think most ppl get cautious because they are worried a BIGGER would could hit soon right after it...

[ChiMan1]

sbecology, I agree completely . . have you seen the price of KY Jelly lately?

[ChiMan1]

This proves It! GOD is punishing the HuffPost, and she is flying in a "Black Helicopter" Scary!!!

[stormwater]

10 miles from the epicenter and in an elevator when it hit.... and it's still not really newsworthy!

[sbecology]

this is NOT front page news and certainly does not deserve live news coverage, except maybe in Chino Hills. There are much more important things to cover in the world today!

[jbilgihan]

they did Ted Stevens, what else is there that is not a continuation of other stories from previous days.

james

[maggiemaeandme]

Jeeze, who pooped in your Wheaties? The whole area is out of service and I came here looking for information and updates. I'm at work with no access to television, so I'm grateful to have a place where I can get status.

[cungar]

What status do you need? There is no emergency. No one died. No one was injured. Nothing collapsed. I was in El Segundo and barely felt it. We used to have quakes like this 5 or 6 times a year. Yawn.

[ariadne1]

if it was in your neighborhood and everything around you was shaking... would it be front page news? if it happens anywhere else in the world it is front page news. the possibility of thousands losing their lives... is that front page news?

what editorial board do you sit on?

[instagladiator]

That was merely "an attention gitter". CitizenRob hit the nail on head with the "Drama Queens 5.4".