Indio, California — A rapid sequence of 16 earthquakes in less than 24 hours rattled Southern California this week, centering on the Coachella Valley and renewing concerns about heightened seismic activity near one of the state’s most dangerous fault systems.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the strongest quake in the swarm measured magnitude 4.9 and struck late Monday near Indio, a city located close to the San Andreas Fault. While no injuries or structural damage were reported, residents across the region described the shaking as a sharp, unsettling jolt.
Strongest quake struck at shallow depth
Seismologists said the magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred at a depth of just two miles, a factor that often makes shaking feel more intense at the surface.
“Shallow earthquakes tend to produce stronger ground motion near the epicenter,” experts explained, even when magnitudes remain moderate…