Magnitude-4.4 Earthquake Disrupts School Day in Pasadena

A magnitude-4.4 earthquake hit southern california on Monday, centered 4 kilometers from South Pasadena. Despite occurring at approximately 12:20 p.m., the tremor was felt across the region, most significantly in Pasadena, where it disrupted the local Unified School District’s first school day.

The city’s public information officer, Lisa Derderian, reported a few immediate disruptions, such as a person trapped in an elevator and a burst water pipe outside the city hall. As she stated, “the quake was felt strong here in Pasadena”. Derderian also stressed that school discussions around earthquake preparedness are crucial, especially concerning potential aftershocks.

The shaking was also confirmed to reach northern Orange County, with early warning phone messages through the ShakeAlert mobile application being released, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Robert De Groot. The depth of what was initially assessed as a magnitude-4.7 earthquake was recorded at 9 kilometers. According to NBC4 Meteorologist David Biggar, two aftershocks measuring approximately 2.1 on the earthquake magnitude scale were detected in the area.