Quake, aftershock rattle Los Angeles area

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A light earthquake and an ensuing aftershock rumbled Saturday across the northern outskirts of Los Angeles, California.

The quake, which struck about 6:30 p.m. local time Saturday, had a preliminary measurement of 4.3, said Susan Hough, spokeswoman for the U.S. Geological Survey. The aftershock, coming about 20 minutes later, almost matched the light quake's intensity at 4.1.

The temblor was centered 2 miles (3.2 km) east-northeast of San Fernando and about 12 miles (19.2 km) north of downtown Los Angeles.

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No damage or injuries have been reported so far, according to local television reports. Hough said little damage would be expected with a quake of this magnitude.

"There's always a 5 to 6 percent chance that this whole thing was a precursor or a foreshock to something bigger (that could come) in the next three days," she said.

Residents reported items falling off shelves, and some said phone service was affected.

"We can't call out, but everything is OK here. We just hope everyone else is safe," San Fernando resident Leslie Satterthwaite.

Residents in the region told local television anchors the first quake didn't last longer than six or seven seconds. Callers to CNN's Los Angeles bureau described it as almost a feeling of an explosion.

"You hear a rumble, then you feel it," said Wally Hawkins of Santa Clarita, California, about 10 miles from San Fernando. "It's a cross between rolling and sharp motion, with a roar."

CNN reporter Paul Vercammen, who lives in the San Fernando Valley, said the second temblor "had much more of a herky-jerky aspect to it."

"It was a fairly strong rocking," he said. "It was a quick burst and a rumble -- both of them had an audible rumble."

On January 17, 1994, a quake of 6.7 magnitude caused heavy damage and casualties in Northridge, California, just west of San Fernando.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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