Early Morning Earthquake Gets Los Angeles Out of Bed

An earthquake with an epicenter in the Santa Monica Mountains struck Los Angeles at about 6:25 a.m. today, authorities said. The U.S. Geological Survey listed the epicenter as 6 miles northwest of the city's Westwood neighborhood.

Initial reports by the USGS said the temblor was a magnitude 4.7, but that number quickly was downgraded to 4.4.

The jolt was felt in downtown Los Angeles and in Beverly Hills, and as far away as Palmdale and Camarillo.

"We've had a couple of aftershocks greater than magnitude 1.5," USGS seismologist Robert Graves told reporters about an hour after the quake was reported. "The most recent was at 7:23 (a.m.). We had a magnitude 2.7, which would cause very minor shaking, probably felt in the epicentral region.

"We're continuing to analyze the data, but at this point, this seems to be what I would call a rather typical earthquake of moderate magnitude," Graves said. "We don't expect there will be much damage."

Graves said the quake was a "reminder that we live in earthquake country" and emphasized the importance of residents devising an earthquake plan that includes emergency sources of food and water.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, according to the Los Angeles city and county fire departments. No schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District's jurisdiction reported damage, according to school police.

All Metro rail lines were delayed for a time as crews inspected tracks for possible damage from the earthquake, but now service has been restored, according to Metro officials.

Los Angeles International Airport is operating normally, with no damage reported from this morning's earthquake, airport police said.

The California Highway Patrol reported no damage to Los Angeles-area roadways from this morning's earthquake.

Officials at UCLA say the campus in Westwood has not suffered any damage from this morning's earthquake.

According to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi, the quake was felt in parts of Orange County, but he said there have been no reports of damage or injuries.

Updated story (the original headline of this story indicated the earthquake was magnitude 4.7). Written with KCET staff.