4.9-magnitude earthquake centered near Indio shakes up Southern California

A moderate earthquake and a series of aftershocks centered near Indio rattled portions of Southern California on Monday evening, Jan. 19, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The 4.9-magnitude earthquake hit at 5:56 p.m., 11 miles north-northeast of Indio, the USGS said.

The shaking was felt well south of Indio.

“I don’t love being 28 stories up in a San Diego high-rise during an earthquake,” Joe Leventhal wrote on X a few minutes after the earthquake.

Aftershocks measured at magnitudes 3.3, 3.4 and 2.9 followed within three minutes.

Reports to the USGS also came in from Victorville, Riverside, Mission Viejo, Los Angeles, Thousand Oaks, the Salton Sea and many other nearby locations.

A magnitude-4.9 earthquake can rattle buildings and cause items to fall off shelves but typically does not cause structural damage, experts say.

Indio police Sgt. Abraham Plata said they have not gotten any reports of damage. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department offials also said they had not received any reports of injury or damage.