While a 5.1 magnitude might arguably not be enough to cause destruction, things could take a turn for the worse if they're mixed with heavy storms. As such, Ventura County, California, experienced an earthquake and a tropical storm at the same time.
Earthquake and Tropical Storm
Northwest of Los Angeles, in the city of Ojai, had already been experiencing a tropical storm when a magnitude 5.1 earthquake happened in Ventura County. The two happening simultaneously caused landfall in the region.
The situation was captured on camera and shared on social media. As seen in the video, streets were shaking with vehicles being violently moved. Although the floods didn't reach alarming levels, the ground shook hard enough to cause huge shakes.
🚨#WATCH: As a Ring Security Camera Captures Video of Ground Shaking During Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) August 21, 2023
📌#Ventura | #California
Watch incredible footage as a Ring Security Camera captures the ground shaking during a magnitude 5.1 earthquake in Ojai, California. This footage was… pic.twitter.com/hGkLmEIcjc
Typically, a white pickup truck weighs around 4,000 to 7,000 pounds. Although there weren't immediate reports of serious damage, many Los Angeles residents felt light to moderate tremors.
The earthquake struck 4.34 miles southeast of Ojai, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake happened at 2:40 p.m. and was followed by multiple aftershocks stretching to Los Angeles, over 60 miles from the epicenter.
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No Serious Damage Caused
According to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, the earthquake wasn't strong enough to cause serious damage. Even before the quake, California officials were already preparing for a rare tropical storm which resulted in some parts of Mexico flooding due to heavy winds and rain.
The tropical storm headed north, hitting Los Angeles with a flash flood alert given until 3 a.m., with the Los Angeles National Weather Service (NWS) issuing a warning to residents telling them to stay off the roads since the rainfall intensity caused "significant" flooding issues.
The Hilary tropical storm created landfall on Mexico's Baja California coast, becoming the first tropical storm to hit southern California in a while. This was the first in 84 years resulting to a state of emergency being declared in the area.
Other Extreme Weather Events
The latest tropical storm is the latest and not the most pressing extreme weather event to happen in the US in recent weeks. Maui, Hawaii, was recently ravaged by wildfires for close to a week, resulting in Lahaina, a historic resort town, being burned to ashes.
The latest estimate says over 100 people have already died by the blaze and there are still hundreds that remain unaccounted for.
Hilary is still expected to hit other states as it moves north, expected to affect Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho. The storm has already caused muddy streets in southern California, resulting in the Los Angeles Unified School District deciding to impose a state school suspension until Monday.
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said that they decided to enforce this measure to ensure the children's safety. In a media briefing, he said that they don't want to compromise the safety of children and employees.
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