Small earthquakes shake L.A., San Fran area communities
HEMET, Calif. - Small earthquakes hundreds of miles apart have rattled communities east of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The largest of the quakes was a magnitude-3.9 temblor that struck at 12:39 a.m. Wednesday just north of Hemet, about 85 miles east of Los Angeles. The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake occurred at a depth of 10 miles.
Another minor quake struck 25 miles east of San Francisco near the city of Concord shortly after 7:30 a.m. The USGS says it measured magnitude 3.5 and was 9 miles deep.
Scientists says the Concord fault, which runs through Concord to Suisun Bay, has the potential to do major damage in the East Bay, reports CBS San Francisco.
The Hayward and San Andreas faults steal most of the spotlight, but the Concord fault stretching from the Mount Diablo foothills to the Carquinez Strait could cause major damage due to its location.
The USGS website recorded hits from many people in both regions who reported feeling the jolts and characterized them as "weak" or "light." Both areas also had smaller aftershocks.
Quakes of such magnitudes are generally too small to cause problems.