Sizeable 5.2-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Julian, Felt Across Coachella Valley

  Sizeable Quake Strikes in Julian Area
   Eds: UPDATES with no tsunami anticipated.
   JULIAN (CNS) - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2
struck in the Julian area of San Diego County today, but there were no
immediate reports of damage or injuries.
   According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake struck at 10:08
a.m. about 2.5 miles south of Julian near the Pine Hills area. A ShakeAlert
notice was sent to cell phones throughout much of Southern California,
initially putting the magnitude of the quake at 6.0, but the USGS later
downgraded it to 5.1, then revised it again to 5.2.
   The shaker was felt as far away as Orange and Riverside counties and
in West Los Angeles.
   A series of aftershocks quickly hit in the same general area, most
less than 3.0 magnitude, but one registered magnitude 3.5 near Borrego Springs.
   The San Diego County Sheriff's Office said it had not received any
reports of damage or injuries due to the quake.
   The National Weather Service issued a statement saying there was no
threat of a tsunami in connection with the inland quake.
   The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services said the agency
was working with local agencies to assess any possible damage or impacts
from the quake. The governor's office issued a statement saying Gov. Gavin
Newsom had been briefed on the quake.
   ``The state is coordinating with local authorities to assess any
damage and if emergency response is needed,'' according to the governor's
office.
   Seismologist and Southern California earthquake expert Lucy Jones said
the quake appeared to have been felt ``over a very large area,'' stretching
into Los Angeles. She said given the size and depth of the quake, it was
unlikely to cause any series damage ``to a normal California building,''
although it may have knocked some items off shelves.
   ``There shouldn't be structural damage,'' she said. ``If there is,
it's in a pretty bad building.''
   Following the quake, Metrolink canceled service on Orange County Line
train 608 between San Clemente and Oceanside, allowing crews to conduct
precautionary track inspections and determine if any damage occurred.
   One resident in the Vista area  in San Diego County noted online that
the quake ``sounded and felt like a bomb went off.''
   Bessie Eberhardt of Fallbrook told City News Service the temblor was
one of the stronger quakes she has felt in her decades of living in Orange and
San Diego counties.
   ``It started with a slight tremor and loud boom, then the shaking
started,'' she said, adding that she was worried for her 93-year-old mother,
whose bedroom is on the first floor of the two-story home.
   ``It lasted as long as it took me to run downstairs and get to my mom,
who was disappointed she slept through it,'' Eberhardt said.