As people across Southern California braced for Hurricane Hilary, an unexpected and rare natural phenomenon struck – a magnitude 5.1 earthquake, according to kion546.com, now colloquially referred to as the “Hurriquake.”
The earthquake’s epicenter was located about 4.34 miles southeast of Ojai, northwest of Los Angeles, and was felt across Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties. The hashtag #hurriquake soon began trending on social media, capturing the public’s astonishment at this extraordinary occurrence.
Though the earthquake did not cause significant structural damage, it left residents and emergency responders scrambling. The hurricane, initially a major concern, has since been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that over 100 fire stations were inspecting buildings for potential damage. In a reassuring tweet, Ms. Bass confirmed no initial reports of structural damage or injuries caused by the earthquake.
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones told NBC News that having an earthquake near Ojai was “interesting,” marking the “first time we’ve had a five since 1932 in exactly this location, and even within the Ventura basin.” She also warned that more aftershocks, some greater than magnitude-3.0, were likely in the coming days.
The quake’s timing, coinciding with post-tropical cyclone Hilary, left many residents uncertain about where to seek shelter. Videos from inside supermarkets showed items falling from shelves, and social media was flooded with accounts of panic and confusion.
Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Service warned of life-threatening to locally catastrophic flooding, mudslides, and landslides due to the “ongoing and historic” amount of rain caused by the storm.
California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency across most of Southern California, deploying more than 7,500 troops to assist in storm preparations. Evacuations were carried out in San Bernardino county due to intense rainfall, and Ventura county faced warnings of life-threatening flooding after almost two inches of rain fell within two hours.
https://twitter.com/rawsalerts/status/1693433220069535873
The storm’s impact was felt even in arid desert areas, leading to flash flooding as the ground struggled to absorb the water. Parts of Death Valley, notorious for its extreme temperatures, were flooded by intense rainfall.
Tropical storms are unusual in the area, and CBS News reporter Jason Allen described the storm as “absolutely unprecedented.” Many residents were left bewildered by the weather event, with one man remarking, “I live in the desert. I’m not supposed to be doing this.”
The confluence of these two natural phenomena has left California residents shaken and emergency responders vigilant. The rare occurrence of a hurricane and earthquake striking simultaneously serves as a stark reminder of nature’s unpredictable power and the importance of preparedness and resilience.
