Over a Dozen Earthquakes Strike California in 25 Minutes

California has been rocked by a series of earthquakes overnight—with 13 rattling the state within just 25 minutes.

The Unites States Geological Survey (USGS) said that the first quake struck after midnight near the city of El Centro on Sunday, when most people would have been in bed, at 12:36 a.m. PST.

The first quake in the series measured a 4.8 on the magnitude scale, meaning that although it could be felt, it should have caused little damage. There was another similar-sized tremor when a 4.5 magnitude struck about six minutes later, but the rest were all under 4.0 with a few even under 3.0.

The first quake hit northwest of El Centro, which is nestled in the Imperial Valley in the southern California border region. The tremors continued around the area until the 13th quake was recorded some 25 minutes later in the early hours of Monday at 1:01 a.m. PST.

A further four quakes have also shaken the region this morning taking the total to 17 so far, with the latest one being recorded at 2:25 a.m. That last one measured a 2.7 magnitude.

The National Weather Service's San Diego office shared a map on social media site X, formerly Twitter, writing: "It has been a busy night to our east...several small earthquakes have occurred in El Centro in the past 15 minutes. A couple of them were felt at our office. As of 12:53 am there have been 13!"

The USGS Shake Alert account on X also shared a map showing the seismic activity, saying: "Good morning Southern California! Did you feel the magnitude 4.8 earthquake about 2 miles northwest of El Centro at 12:36 am? The #ShakeAlert system was activated.

"The #ShakeAlert system estimated the quake above magnitude 5.0 so alerts were delivered to cell phones by @USGS partners @MyShakeApp, @SanDiegoCounty #ShakeReadySD @Android and @fema Wireless Emergency Alerts."

One X user was said the alert sent to their cell phone had proved useful: "Felt it and got a 10 second head start on the shaking with the MyShake app!"

Although some near the area said they hadn't felt the tremors, one X user wrote: "Definitely felt much stronger than a 4.8." Another added: "Earthquake swarms just as I was about to go to bed. strong enough for things to fall and break. sadly, a few broken decorations."

Light earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.5 to 5.4 are often felt, but rarely cause damage. While 5.5 to 6 magnitude quakes are considered moderate and may result in slight damage to buildings. Earthquakes of 6.1 to 6.9 may cause major damage in highly populated areas, while earthquakes of an 8 magnitude or higher can totally destroy communities near its epicenter, according to Michigan Tech.

The devastating earthquake in Turkey last year, which killed more than 50,000 people and decimated communities near the Syrian border, was a 7.8 magnitude quake.

Earthquakes in the U.S. usually hit California and Alaska due to their location, but experts say the quakes that occasionally occur in Texas may be as a result of fracking.

Update 2/12/24, 8:06 a.m. ET: This article was updated to add more information and context.