Multiple earthquakes strike Southern California in one week

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Why do earthquakes happen? And how do we stay safe?

Here's a brief explainer on how earthquakes begin, the worst quakes in California history and how to stay safe if one hits your town.

• A 3.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Malibu, California on Feb. 14.
• This earthquake follows a series of four other earthquakes that occurred earlier in the week in Southern California.
• Southern California experienced multiple earthquakes over the Valentine's Day weekend, with tremors felt from Santa Barbara to Ontario.

The ground keeps shaking in Southern California as the coastal city of Malibu was struck by two earthquakes on Valentine's Day weekend along with a temblor in Idyllwild. Also, a fourth in San Bernardino in less than a week.

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake occurred at 6:24 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, three miles north northeast of San Bernardino, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 

Earlier, at 2:16 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, a magnitude 3.5 quake struck about seven miles south of Idyllwild east of Hemet in Riverside County.

Two Malibu earthquakes

The Los Angeles County city of Malibu was also struck by two quakes over the weekend.

Shortly after 6:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, an estimated 3.5 magnitude quake struck about 6.8 miles from Malibu and 9.5 miles from Thousand Oaks, the USGS reported.

A magnitude 3.7 earthquake struck at 11:44 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, roughly seven miles northwest of Malibu.

The quakes near Malibu were felt in Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties. Residents reported feeling the earthquakes west to Santa Barbara, north to Santa Clarita and east to Ontario.

The quakes came after homes in Malibu in January were destroyed by the Palisades Fire.

Trio of quakes

Four earthquakes were reported on Monday, Feb. 10 in Southern California, and a fifth in Kern County, with no reports of damage or injuries, the Daily Press reported.

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake occurred at about 9:44 a.m. and about 3 miles north-northeast of San Bernardino, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 

At 9:48 p.m., a magnitude 3.0 quake stuck in the same vicinity near the San Andreas Fault.

A magnitude 3.6 quake was reported at 9:58 p.m., about three miles north-northeast of San Bernardino.

The trio of quakes were east of California State University, San Bernardino, and were felt in Riverside, Fontana, Running Springs and portions of the Victor Valley, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Two other quakes

At 1:57 p.m. Monday, a magnitude 2.8 earthquake struck six miles north-northeast of Ocotillo Wells and east of the Salton Sea in San Diego County. The quake was along the San Jacinto Fault and southwest of the San Andreas Fault.

Multiple quakes rattle Bay: Series of earthquakes rattle Bay Area, topping out at magnitude 3.7

A magnitude 3.2 quake occurred at 2:23 p.m. Monday, about nine miles northeast of Little Lake, just north of Inyokern in Kern County.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage due any of the quakes.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz