More info as it comes to us in the newsroom.
UPDATE 11:45 a.m.: "[E]very LA person I know on IM just buzzed me"
-my friendUPDATE 11:53 a.m.: The LA Times server is dead. Completely swamped. Attempts by our producers to reach individuals in the area by phone for interviews has proven impossible due to busy signals.
UPDATE 11:57 a.m.:
Update from CNN:
A magnitude-5.8 earthquake has struck just east of Los Angeles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake's epicenter was about 2 miles southwest of Chino Hills and about 5 miles southeast of Diamond Bar, the USGS said.
The center was about 7.6 miles deep. In general, earthquakes centered
closer to the Earth's surface produce stronger shaking and can cause
more damage than those further underground.
A 5.8 magnitude
quake is considered by the USGS to be "moderate," which can cause
slight damage to buildings and others structures. About 500 can happen
globally each year, the survey says.
UPDATE 12:09 a.m.: A new way to get news: Twitter:
UPDATE 12:36 p.m.: The quake, originally reported as a 5.8 on the Richter scale, has been downgraded to a 5.4.
UPDATE 12:58 p.m.:
Very cool "near real time" visualization of today's LA earthquake from
ShakeMovie.
