A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck the Los Angeles area Monday morning in the pre-dawn hours. While a relatively minor quake, it was strong enough to rattling residents and send morning TV news anchors under their desks.
According to the US Geological Survey (USGS) the quake was centered 6 miles west of Beverly Hills and at a depth of 5.3 miles. Occurring at 6:25 a.m. local time, a light aftershock of magnitude 2.7 was recorded at 7:23 a.m.
Residents stretching from Mission Viejo to the south and Oxnard to the north reported feeling the initial temblor. Beyond waking residents that were still sleeping and grabbing the attention of those already awake, initial reports indicate no significant damage.
Television stations were in the middle of their morning broadcasts when the quake hit.
KTLA news anchors Chris Schauble and Megan Henderson reacted quickly announcing that they were feeling the quake. The two acted appropriately and dived under their anchor desks for the short duration of the quake.
Video from the station shows the overhead lights shaking and Henderson noting that dust or ceiling material was falling down.