San Diego, CA
Earthquakes Rock SoCal: Could 'Something Bigger' Be Coming?
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Several magnitude 4.0 or greater earthquakes have rattled Southern California in the past week — and there’s a chance more could be on the way.
There is a small chance, about 5 percent, that an earthquake will be followed by a larger quake, with the likelihood decreasing over time, according to Gabrielle Tepp, a staff seismologist at California Institute of Technology’s Seismological Laboratory.
“When something like this happens, there is a slightly elevated chance that something bigger could be coming,” Tepp told Patch.
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Southern California has experienced what Tepp called “clusters” of earthquake activity not only this week, but since the start of the year.
“We have been having a lot of magnitude 4s lately since the start of 2024 in Southern California. That’s just a result of the randomness of earthquakes,” Tepp said. “If earthquakes followed a specific pattern, we’d be able to predict them, but we can’t.”
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Earthquakes aren’t entirely random, however.
“They have to happen at fault and when stress builds up, but when exactly they happen is somewhat random,” she explained.
“Because of that, sometimes you’ll go quiet with very few earthquakes,” she added. “Other times you’ll get clusters, like this, with a bunch of them that are unrelated. Other times there will be a more steady rate to them. We just happen to be in one of the clusters, right now, with a lot of activity.”
Since the start of the year, there have been five “significant earthquakes” in California, according to the United States Geological Survey. All of them have happened in Southern California and two of them struck this past week.
The quakes also struck near different faults.
“It’s not confined to just one specific area,” Tepp said.
According to the USGS, earthquakes are considered “significant events” due to a combination of magnitude, the number of “Did You Feel It” responses, and the PAGER (Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response) alert level.
A 4.1-magnitude quake hit New Year’s Day near Rancho Palos Verdes in Los Angeles County. Four days later, a 4.2-magnitude quake was recorded near Lytle Creek in the San Gabriel Mountains in San Bernardino County. On Jan. 24, a 4.2-magnitude quake struck near San Bernardino.
This past week, a magnitude 4.6 earthquake hit at 1:47 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, near Malibu, which was followed by a series of smaller quakes in the area. The quake struck near the Malibu Coast fault and Santa Monica Bay fault, which is an area that is known to be seismically active.
Since record-keeping began in 1932, there have been six magnitude 4 or greater earthquakes within about 6 miles of the quake, according to the Southern California Seismic Network. The largest was a magnitude 5.3 on Feb. 21, 1973.
Three days after the Malibu quake, an earthquake swarm rattled east of San Diego in the El Centro and Imperial areas of Southern California.
“For a normal mainshock tectonic sequence, you have one big earthquake and a bunch of aftershocks that are usually smaller magnitudes,” Tepp said. “When you get a bunch of earthquakes that are all very similar magnitudes, we consider that a swarm because there’s not really a clear mainshock.”
Of the earthquakes, the first and largest was a 4.8-magnitude quake recorded at 12:36 a.m. near El Centro, according to the USGS. A 4.6-magnitude quake struck six minutes later.
The earthquake swarm continued through the morning and into Tuesday. As of 12:35 p.m. Tuesday, the Southern California Seismic Network had recorded 232 “events” in the swarm, with the smallest being a 0.8-magnitude quake.
“The Imperial Valley is known for earthquake swarms,” Tepp said. “These happen pretty regularly in that region, so it’s the type of activity that we’d expect for that region. It’s a swarm-prone area.”
Although the region is known for earthquake activity, swarms are typically linked to the San Andreas fault, which ends near Bombay Beach in the Salton Sea. This swarm is believed to be linked to the Weinert-El Centro fault, a branch of the San Jacinto fault system, which is one of the most active fault zones in Southern California.
“I don’t recall a swarm of aftershocks like this ever occurring on the Weinert,” Tom Rockwell, a San Diego State University geologist, told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Is it a foreshock to something bigger? No one knows.”
The earthquake swarm was one of the strongest to hit Southern California in years.
Four of the earthquakes between 12:36 and 12:59 a.m. activated the USGS ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System, which detects significant quakes early enough so that alerts can be delivered to residents and automated systems potentially seconds before shaking arrives.
The MyShake early-warning app sent more than 79,000 alerts for the 4.8-magnitude quake and more than 87,000 alerts for the 4.6-magnitude quake, according to Robert-Michael de Groot, a coordinator at ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System for the USGS Earthquake Science Center.
De Groot explained that MyShake and other partner apps send alerts when the estimated magnitude is 4.5 or greater to phones in the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) III or greater zone. The Wireless Emergency Alert sends alerts to WEA-capable devices when the estimated magnitude is 5.0 or greater to phones in the MMI IV or greater zone.
According to the intensity scale, MMI III is “weak” shaking that is felt by people indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. MMI IV is “light” shaking and felt indoors by many and outdoors by few people.
“We use about one second of data from the earthquake to make a decision about how big it’s going to be,” de Groot told Patch. “With earthquake early warning, it’s got to be fast.”
Following the swarm, another 4.1-magnitude earthquake struck late Tuesday night in Imperial County. The quake was recorded at 11:53 p.m. about 6.2 miles north of Westmorland, which is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, according to the USGS.
The quake was considered a “separate event” from the swarm.
“It was far enough away and on a different set of faults,” Tepp explained. “I would consider it something different, but it’s a complicated tectonic area.”
The quake struck near the Westmorland fault. There have been 109 magnitude 4 or greater earthquakes within about 6 miles of the quake since the start of record-keeping, according to the Southern California Seismic Network. The largest was a magnitude 6.2 on Nov. 24, 1987.
De Groot said that earthquake watchers are studying the recent quake activity.
“Whenever these things happen, we watch them very carefully,” de Groot said. “We want to make sure that we watch the trends and compare it to other activity in the past to see if this might lead to something. We’re always thinking about what could happen next.”
Experts agree that it’s not a matter of if the “Big One” is coming but when.
Tepp said there are several faults in Southern California that are “capable of producing damaging earthquakes.
“There’s going to be another damaging earthquake at some point,” she said. “The best thing you can do is be prepared.”
Most of California has at least a 75% chance of a damaging earthquake in the next century, according to a newly released USGS map. A large portion of the state has over a 95% chance of a damaging earthquake.
The latest USGS National Seismic Hazard Model released in January shows where damaging earthquakes are most likely to occur based on seismic studies, historical geologic data, and the latest data-collection technologies. The model updated a previous version released in 2018.
This year marked the 30th anniversary of the destructive 1994 Northridge earthquake that killed at least 57 people, injured thousands and caused billions of dollars in damage in Southern California.
There’s a 60% chance that a magnitude 6.7 quake will hit the Los Angeles area again within 30 years, according to the USGS. There’s a 46% chance of a magnitude 7.0 quake and a 31% probability of a magnitude 7.5.
“We know that it’s going to happen, it’s just hard to put our finger on exactly when,” de Groot said. “Our best attempt though is that they happen about every 30 years — meaning a Northridge-sized earthquake in the Los Angeles area.”
The Northridge quake happened on a previously undiscovered fault. Experts are even more concerned about the San Andreas fault. The fault, which runs more than 800 miles long, has been responsible for some of the state’s largest quakes.
Seismologists have warned the public for years that Southern California is “overdue” for an 8.0-magnitude earthquake courtesy of the state’s longest fault. To put that into perspective, a quake that size is 60 times more powerful and six times longer than the Northridge earthquake.
“When someone says we are overdue, what they are usually saying is that the time since the last major earthquake is greater than that historic recurrence time,” Tepp explained. “It’s an average. So sometimes it will be less and sometimes it will be more.
“We’re past that average now,” she noted. “We’re within the window that we are kind of waiting and expecting something to happen.”
She and de Groot both encouraged residents to be prepared for earthquakes. Create an emergency kit and plan, and also download the MyShake early-warning app, which helped alert residents near the most recent quake swarm.
The creation of the earthquake early warning system has been one of the biggest advancements in the three decades since the Northridge quake.
“We live in earthquake country. Earthquakes are going to continue to happen,” he said. “Now there’s a system in place that detects the earthquake as soon as it reaches the surface, moves that information quickly to where it needs to go, and then gets alerts out to people who need them.”
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San Diego, CA
Sir Mohamed Mansour brought a global movement to San Diego, and nearly won MLS Cup in Year 1
As Sir Mohamed Mansour was finalizing a deal with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation to invest in San Diego FC in 2022, he reflected on their combined history. The Sycuan said they’d lived in the San Diego region for 12,000 years. Mansour looked to his own Egyptian culture’s 7,000-year existence.
“If we have 19,000 years of history we can’t lose,” said the 78-year-old.
When San Diego FC finally lost in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs, it was in the Western Conference finals, capping the best debut season in the league’s history. Mansour spoke about the experience Thursday morning during the Business of Soccer conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
“The first game, to me, meant everything. That night was a sleepless night because I’m very passionate about soccer,” he said.
Mansour would have settled for a respectable loss; they were playing defending MLS Cup champs L.A. Galaxy. But San Diego FC scored twice unanswered, winning the opener. And another sleepless night ensued.
Mansour discussed early life health issues, including being hit by a car when he was 10 years old, which left him bed-ridden for three years. He read American comic books and studied. His family’s wealth was confiscated by the Egyptian government during a 1965 revolution, and he later beat cancer as a 20-year-old while studying in the U.S.
Now the billionaire chairman of Mansour Group, an Egyptian conglomerate owned by his family, Mansour is also chairman of the Right To Dream Academy, which has made San Diego its fifth outpost. San Diego FC’s $150M Sharp HealthCare Performance Center includes residences and a school for Right To Dream participants in the club’s academy system. Mansour mentioned his plans to construct 100 pitches for underprivileged kids in San Diego.
“We are more than a football academy. We’re a global movement, built upon the belief that everyone has the right to dream,” said Mansour. “We’ve been rewriting the rules of talent development for over 20 years, guided by our core belief that excellence can be found anywhere.”
While creating hundreds of opportunities for children in underdeveloped countries, Right to Dream has generated tens of millions of euros in transfer fees for clubs within the network.
Mansour, who graduated from N.C. State in 1968 with an engineering degree and then earned a Masters’ from Auburn, differs from many MLS owners because he is a native soccer fan, he had extensive soccer business experience, and even an idea of how he’d like his team to play (possession-based).
Asked which he’d prefer — for Egypt to win the World Cup or San Diego FC to win MLS Cup — Mansour answered the United States (to win the World Cup) and San Diego FC to win MLS Cup.
“I tell you why. I’m a businessman too,” he said, grinning. “And if the US does well in this World Cup, soccer is going to grow.”
Rapid fire with Sir Mohamed Mansour
Comic book hero: Superman
Kryptonite: Worrying
Favorite athlete: Michael Jordan
Favorite soccer player: Mohamed Salah
Childhood hero: His father
The San Diego State Aztecs are bracing for some possible serious turnover this offseason and it’s not all going to be via the transfer portal.
Leading scorer Reese Dixon-Waters is out of eligibility, as are Jeremiah Oden and Sean Newman Jr. Newman can petition for another season based on his junior college years, but it’s anyone’s guess if he’d get it.
Obviously, San Diego State’s roster movement is far from complete and the transfer portal doesn’t even open until April 7, the day after the national championship game.
The Aztecs’ once-promising season ended when they were left out of the NCAA Tournament following their loss to Utah State in the Mountain West Tournament championship game.
There are some players we know will not be on the squad next season, which will be the Aztecs’ first in the new-look Pac-12:
Guard Reese Dixon-Waters
After missing all of the 2024-25 season with a broken foot, Dixon-Waters returned for his final season of eligibility and led the Aztecs in scoring at 13.1 points per game. He was a second-team All-Mountain West pick. He scored his 1,000th career point at UNLV on Jan. 24 and finished his career with 1,220 points.
Dixon-Waters played his first three seasons at USC before transferring to SDSU, where he started 23 of 37 games in 2023-24. He was a preseason All-Mountain West pick the next season before breaking a foot. He was so highly regarded that, despite missing all of last season, he was named to the preseason All-MW team in October.
One of his notable accomplishments was attempting more free throws (43) without a miss to start the 2023-24 season than any player in the country.
Forward Jeremiah Oden
Oden started 15 games and played in 30 of 33 games in his final season of eligibility after transferring from Charlotte, where he redshirted in 2024-25. He averaged 4.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 13.8 minutes.
Oden scored his 1,000th career point on Feb. 3 against Wyoming, where he played his first three college seasons. He finished his career with 1,024 points and 495 rebounds.
Oden didn’t play at all in a blowout home win against Utah State on Feb. 25, when Dutcher shortened his rotation from 11 to nine players. He had started the previous nine games.
Oden also played one season at DePaul.
Guard Sean Newman Jr.
The transfer from Louisiana Tech played in all 33 games and made four starts, including Senior Night in the regular-season finale against UNLV and all three games in the MW tournament, when freshman Elzie Harrington was out with an injury.
Newman averaged 3.3 points, 2.4 assists and 15.4 minutes.
Here is what you need to know in the March 25, 2026, Streamline newsletter:
This morning, we’re tracking San Diego Unified School District’s decision to rename Cesar Chavez Elementary School in the wake of serious allegations against the civil rights icon.
We’re also following the City of San Diego’s search for a new operator to reopen Tecolote Canyon Golf Course — and the neighbors pushing to safeguard and restore the surrounding natural space.
Plus, consumer reporter Marie Coronel shows why brand loyalty might be costing you more on your cell phone bill.
THE STREAMLINE
WATCH — ABC 10News brings you The Streamline for Wednesday, March 25 — everything you need to know in under 10 minutes:
The Streamline: Wednesday, March 25
TOP STORY
The San Diego Unified School District board voted Tuesday night to begin renaming Cesar Chavez Elementary School following allegations of sexual abuse against the labor leader.
The process will start with school leaders meeting with parents, teachers, students, and community members to select a new name.
While renaming a school typically takes several months, district officials said the timeline could be expedited in this case.
San Diego Unified usually limits itself to one school name change per year — in February, Clairemont High School’s mascot was changed from the Chieftains to the Captains.
However, board members said they would make an exception for this situation.
San Diego Unified initiates renaming process for Cesar Chavez Elementary over abuse allegations
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BREAKING OVERNIGHT
(AP) — Iran received a 15-point proposal from the U.S. to reach a ceasefire in the war, two Pakistani officials said Wednesday.
The Pakistani officials described the proposal broadly as touching on sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program, monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, missile limits and access for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.
The Trump administration reportedly offered the plan to Iran as the U.S. appears to seek an end to the war even while more troops head to the Middle East.
The plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from the government of Pakistan, which has offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, a person briefed on the plan’s contours but who was not authorized to speak publicly told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The U.S. military is preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, according to three people with knowledge of the move who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.
Any talks between the U.S. and Iran would face monumental challenges. Many of Washington’s shifting objectives, particularly over Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, remain difficult to achieve, and it is not clear who in Iran’s government has the authority or would be willing to negotiate.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s office said he has been discussing the war this week with several counterparts, but Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament, denied Trump’s claim of direct talks and an Iranian military spokesperson declared that the fighting would go on.
Alluding to progress in talks, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Iran shared an oil- and gas-related “present,” a day after telling reporters that the Middle Eastern nation is eager for a deal to end the war.
Story by The Associated Press
CONSUMER
While loyalty is usually a good thing, it’s possible it could be costing you money when it comes to your cell phone bill.
WATCH — Consumer reporter Marie Coronel goes over the simple checks you can do right now to make sure you’re not overpaying:
Comparing cell phone plans to save money on your bill
WE FOLLOW THROUGH
The City of San Diego is seeking proposals from companies to lease and reopen the Tecolote Canyon Golf Course. While golfers welcome the move, some nearby residents argue it could harm the environment.
WATCH — Reporter Dani Miskell spoke to some neighbors about their expectations for whoever comes in to run the golf course:
Concerns grow over future of Tecolote Canyon Golf Course
RELATED COVERAGE:
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