Julian Epicenter: 5.2 Quake Jolts Southern California

A powerful 5.2-magnitude earthquake centered near Julian rattled Southern California on Monday morning, sending tremors across the region and into Mexico. The seismic event struck at 10:08 a.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Residents throughout San Diego County experienced strong shaking, with reports of tremors felt as far away as Los Angeles. No casualties have been reported, though some properties near the epicenter sustained minor damage.

Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones identified the quake as likely associated with the Elsinore Fault, part of the larger San Andreas Fault system. The earthquake occurred approximately eight miles below the Earth’s surface.

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Seconds of Warning Save Lives

The USGS early warning system provided crucial seconds of notice to many residents before the shaking began. Emergency alerts with the message “Drop, cover, hold on. Protect yourself” reached mobile phones throughout the region.

Kevin Manaugh, a lifelong San Diego resident, credits the alert with giving him time to find safety. “The way they were able to predict that, it gave me time to get to a point of safety,” Manaugh told the BBC.

While earthquakes remain notoriously difficult to predict long-term, the ShakeAlert system detects initial P-waves that travel faster than the more damaging S-waves. This technology provided approximately 15 seconds of warning before the strongest shaking began.

Julian Business Owner: “Bottles Bursting Everywhere”

The mountain town of Julian, located in the Cuyamaca Mountains about an hour northeast of San Diego, experienced some of the strongest shaking. Dylan Carniero was inside Mountain Spirits Liquor when the quake hit.

“I just hear like consecutive three to four different bursts and pops of different bottles,” Carniero said in a CBS Los Angeles interview. Several bottles inside his store fell off the shelves and shattered, causing inventory damage.

Robin Boland with the Julian Chamber of Commerce described the community’s reaction: “Everybody in town seemed to react to it again, everybody running out to the sidewalks on Main Street, Julian. Everybody was outside checking on each other and all the car alarms were going off.”

Cracked Ceilings and Terrified Residents

Ashely Pinnick from nearby Ramona reported structural damage to her home. “It felt like my entire roof was going to collapse. We have a large beam that runs through the center of our house, and I started to hear something cracking and that’s when I started screaming for everyone to get out, cause I was terrified.”

In Carlsbad, approximately 40 miles from the epicenter, residents also felt significant shaking. “We definitely felt a very violent jolt, and it lasted about 10 seconds and our whole entire building was swaying as well… that was the biggest earthquake I’ve felt in a long time,” a resident named Caroline told CBS.

Linda Rangel in Escondido described her instinctive reaction: “My instinct was to just leave the building. I don’t know if that was the right thing to do, but I didn’t have any shoes on. I left my phone behind. I just got up and ran out.”

Officials Respond as Aftershocks Continue

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria quickly addressed public concerns on social media. “San Diego experienced a strong earthquake centered near Julian. There’s no known visible or major damage to the city so far and I’m in communication with local, state, and federal officials,” Gloria wrote on X.

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office also confirmed he had been briefed on the situation. The San Diego sheriff’s office reported no major injuries or damage but characterized it as a “developing situation.”

The USGS recorded at least seven aftershocks in the hour following the initial quake. The National Weather Service confirmed no tsunami threat existed for coastal areas.

Sunday’s Foreshock: Nature’s Warning Sign

Dr. Lucy Jones noted that Sunday’s smaller 3.3-magnitude earthquake in the same area was actually a foreshock to Monday’s larger event. This pattern of smaller quakes preceding a larger one is common in seismic sequences.

According to the USGS map released after the event, the tremors were felt widely across Southern California and into Mexico, affecting millions of residents.

For residents like Manaugh, the earthquake served as a reminder to prepare for natural disasters. “Between this and the wildfires in Los Angeles, it made me think that it’s probably a good idea to have an evacuation bag,” he said.

Emergency management officials recommend residents check their properties for damage, particularly gas and water lines. Updates on aftershocks and safety information continue to be released by local news outlets as the situation develops.

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