A moderate earthquake centered near Bakersfield was felt across a wide swath of central and southern California on Tuesday afternoon, but there have been no reports of damages, injuries or other problems.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck near Wasco about 25 miles northwest of Bakersfield shortly after 4 p.m. The USGS described the quake as light and said it came at a depth of about 14 miles.
A dispatcher at the Kern County Sheriff's Office says the quake gave the office "a pretty good jolt," but there were no reports of damage or injuries.
People reported feeling the quake in several surrounding counties, including Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, including areas along the coast 150 miles away. It was followed by several minor aftershocks, the largest of which was magnitude 2.6.
Kern County Fire Capt. Andrew Kennison said the shaking was "short, brief, but strong -- kind of a violent hit."
"We surveyed the town, no broken windows, no structural damage," Kennison told the Los Angeles Times.
The earthquake was about 150 miles south of one of the same size in the Sierra Nevada town of Big Pine a week earlier. No damages were reported there either.
Despite the lack of problems, the two quakes were among the largest onshore temblors in California in the past two years.
