Thursday morning quake rolls through the area, does little damage
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

Capt. Barry Parker of the Simi Valley Fire Department said he was one of the many locals who were jolted awake by an earthquake early yesterday morning, but aside from some toppled items, interrupted sleep seems to be the only inconvenience the quake caused.

The 4.6-magnitude quake, centered about 4 miles northwest of Chatsworth, rattled down the Santa Susana Fault just before 1 a.m. Thursday, according to a preliminary report by the U.S. Geological Survey. Parker confirmed that no injuries or damages were reported.

"Everything is just fine," he said.

Reginold LaSalle, a Simi Valley resident, was roused from sleep by the rolling quake.

"It was strong enough to wake me up, that's for sure," LaSalle said. "A couple things fell off the shelves, but that's about it."

Kate Hutton, a staff seismologist at Caltech, said the quake was felt from as far south as Irvine and by "a few people" as north as Lancaster.

"Most of the felt reports were in the northern San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley," Hutton said. "If you were right on top of it, it was more of a sharp feeling, but the further away it went, it was more of a rolling."

Caltech is reporting the epicenter was in the mountains about 7 miles northeast of Simi Valley and three miles north northwest of Chatsworth.

The quake was originally reported as a 4.5, but after more analysis has been increased to a 4.6 magnitude, according to Hutton.