Underwater Quake Rattles Coastal Area

An underwater earthquake measuring magnitude 4.9 and centered about 49 miles southeast of San Clemente Island rattled coastal cities including San Diego and Oceanside about 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

The quake was not large enough to generate a tsunami, and no warning was issued, said Nick Scheckel, a seismic analyst at Caltech Seismological Laboratory.

A quake of that magnitude is not unusual for this offshore area, he said.

Some residents on San Clemente and Catalina islands also reported feeling weak shaking.

Rhiannon Nielsen, a Navy police officer stationed on San Clemente Island, said there were no reports of damage associated with the quake. “I didn’t even feel it,” she said.