Magnitude-5.1 earthquake in Ventura County shakes parts of Southern California

Mother Nature dealt Southern California a one-two punch Sunday when an earthquake in Ventura County triggered widespread shaking on the same day as the region was drenched by its first tropical storm in decades.

The magnitude-5.1 earthquake at 2:41 p.m. startled Southern Californians who were already braced for the remnant of Hurricane Hilary, which had already brought hours of steady rain during the region’s driest month of the year. There were at least a dozen aftershocks of magnitude-3.0 or greater.

The earthquake was centered about four miles southeast of Ojai, about 80 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Shaking was reported in Ventura, Camarillo, Oxnard, Newbury Park, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Santa Barbara, parts of LA’s San Fernando Valley, Malibu, Porter Ranch, Manhattan Beach and other locations.

At Tres Hermanas restaurant in Ojai, security camera video captured images and the jarring sound of shaking. Ojai, a small scenic community on the edge of Los Padres National Forest about 12 miles north of Ventura, has a vibrant downtown village area that features art galleries, shops and bars.

There were no immediate reports of significant damage. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department conducted an aerial survey of Lake Casitas Dam, Matilija Dam and the city of Ojai and found no damage.