Seismologists reported a magnitude-5.2 earthquake struck Mettler, a small town nearly 60 miles northwest of Santa Clarita, around 9:09 p.m. Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey website.
There were no immediate reports of damage in Los Angeles County, but the earthquake could be felt for several seconds in the Santa Clarita Valley.
A number of residents received an alert on their phone seconds before the earthquake struck.
The alert, which was sent to mobile devices by the U.S. Geological Survey, stated the following: “Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself. —USGS ShakeAlert. “
“The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system monitors for significant earthquakes and issues alerts to warn that strong shaking is expected imminently,” according to the USGS website.
For more information, visit earthquake.usgs.gov/data/shakealert.
