(SAN DIEGO) — A 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook Southern California on Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake was centered in San Diego County but was felt as far north as Los Angeles.
No injuries or damage have been reported, according to Cal Fire San Diego.
The building “rocked for a long time,” said Greg Allen, a Washington resident visiting San Diego.
“Everything was moving, the blinds and everything,” he told ABC News. “Then we heard people going down the stairs. And since we’re from out of town, we figured we should probably leave the building also.”
A 3.3 magnitude foreshock hit on Sunday afternoon, seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said, and Monday morning’s earthquake was followed by several aftershocks in the 2 and 3 magnitude range.
Extreme damage is not expected, Jones said. Damage is possible to old buildings or buildings with poor foundations, she said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed and the state is coordinating with local authorities, according to the governor’s office.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — A once-in-a-generation extreme weather event is underway, beginning with a tornado outbreak and continuing into the weekend with four days of dangerous flooding pounding the same region.
A rare high risk (level 5 of 5) for severe weather has been issued for Wednesday evening, warning of dangerous thunderstorms, destructive wind gusts and potentially strong, large-track tornadoes from Arkansas to Illinois.
The three areas of greatest concern into Wednesday evening are those in Arkansas, where there are large and extremely dangerous tornadoes on the ground, with Particularly Dangerous Situation, or PDS, tornado warnings in effect.
The first is near Lake City, where a tornado emergency has just been issued — impacting parts of Craighead and Poinsett counties and potentially crossing right into southern Missouri. The second, near Waldenburg, impacts parts of Craighead, Poinsett and Cross counties. The third, near Almrya, impacts parts of Monroe and Arkansas counties.
Additionally, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Director Patrick C. Sheehan issued a state of emergency ahead of the major storms and significant flooding expected to slam the state. The governor also requested an emergency declaration, which would seek FEMA assistance ahead of the severe forecast. The National Weather Service warned that those in the flood zone “should prepare now for the possibility of long duration and severe disruptions to daily life.”
There were at least four reported tornadoes — one in Missouri and three in Arkansas — on Wednesday, for a total of eight reported tornadoes across Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas over a 24-hour period.
Only one tornado has been rated: The National Weather Service said that an EF-1 tornado touched the ground for 17 miles near Vernon County, Missouri, with peak winds up to 98 mph, leaving thousands without power in the region.
Throughout Wednesday, there were numerous reports of strong winds gusts, wind damage and large hail stretching from Arkansas to Ohio.
The Arkansas Division of Emergency Management said late Wednesday that four injuries were reported in Craighead County linked to the extreme weather, but there have been no fatalities. However, over 35,000 are without power, the ADEM said.
A particularly dangerous situation, or PDS, tornado watch is in effect across parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana. Cities in the bull’s-eye include Jonesboro, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; Paducah, Kentucky; and Evansville, Indiana.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency.
“We’re really concerned about people’s safety, especially in the overnight, because when storms or tornadoes hit while people are asleep, that’s sadly when we’ve lost the most people,” he said in a statement. “So, everybody out there, be really careful.”
But the biggest threat from this weather event is the potentially historic rainfall.
Wednesday’s severe thunderstorm threat will diminish slightly after midnight, but the threat of severe storms will persist overnight. Then, a life-threatening flash flood threat will begin to ramp up into Thursday morning — bringing another very active, dangerous weather day for millions.
In Arkansas, the cities of Memphis, Jonesboro and Little Rock are under a moderate risk (level 3 of 4) for excessive rainfall on Wednesday night — and the flash flooding threat will become more extreme and widespread on Thursday. A rare high risk (level 4 of 4) for excessive rainfall will then go into effect, impacting Jonesboro, Paducah and the Memphis suburbs.
The flooding will last into Friday and Saturday.
The four-day event will leave 10 to 15 inches of rain or more over the bull’s-eye area from Jonesboro to Paducah. Seven to 10 inches of rain is possible from Little Rock to Memphis to Louisville, Kentucky, to Cincinnati.
The system will finally be on the move on Sunday.
ABC News’ Jason Volack contributed to this report.
(OCEAN COUNTY, N.J.) — A second teenager has been arrested for arson in connection with a massive New Jersey wildfire that destroyed a commercial building, shut down a major highway and forced thousands of people to flee, prosecutors said.
The second suspect — an unidentified 17-year-old boy — was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with arson and aggravated arson for allegedly helping set wooden pallets on fire and leaving the area when the fire wasn’t fully extinguished, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.
The 17-year-old was also charged with hindering apprehension for allegedly giving “misinformation to law enforcement about how the fire started,” Billhimer said in a statement.
The first suspect, 19-year-old Joseph Kling, was arrested on April 23 in connection with the Jones Road Wildfire, which ignited in Ocean Township on April 22, prosecutors said.
The fire was caused by “an improperly extinguished bonfire,” Billhimer said. Kling allegedly set wooden pallets on fire and then left when the fire wasn’t fully put out, Billhimer said.
As of Monday, the Jones Road Wildfire had burned about 15,300 acres, Billhimer said. The blaze was 75% contained as of Thursday, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.
On April 23, Kling was charged with arson and aggravated arson. On Thursday, he was charged with hindering apprehension for also allegedly giving false information to law enforcement, prosecutors said.
Kling is in custody at the Ocean County Jail and is due at a detention hearing on Friday.
The 17-year-old is being held at the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center, prosecutors said.
ABC News’ Alexandra Faul contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — A man crashed his vehicle through the gates of actress Jennifer Aniston’s Los Angeles home on Monday, police sources confirmed to ABC News.
The “Friends” star was home at the time, police sources said.
Private security at the Bel Air home detained the driver and he is currently in LAPD custody, sources close to the investigation told ABC News. He will be booked Monday night for felony vandalism due to the damage, the sources said.
The incident does not appear to have been an accident, though there is also nothing to indicate yet that the driver was targeting Aniston, the sources said. The LAPD’s Threat Management Unit, which has handled cases involving Aniston before, is going to take this case out of an abundance of caution, the sources said.
The suspect, who has a minor criminal history, was not actively being investigated for anything involving Aniston before the incident, the sources said.
Investigators are currently looking into the suspect’s background and social media, the sources said.
Aniston’s representatives declined to comment on the incident.
Law enforcement sources told ABC News this incident highlights the need for celebrities and high-profile types to take prudent measures to have high-level, on-site security.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
