150+ earthquakes rattle Brawley in Imperial County swarm

More than 150 earthquakes struck Brawley and the broader Imperial County on Saturday, including a 4.5 magnitude main shock that shook residents near the Salton Sea for hours, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The swarm — centered south of the Salton Sea in a corridor seismologists describe as prone to clusters of activity — prompted city officials to warn residents that aftershocks could continue, even as no injuries or damage were immediately confirmed.

The sequence began at 4:14 p.m. with a 3.5 magnitude tremor two miles west-southwest of Brawley, according to ABC7 Los Angeles, which cited United States Geological Survey data. By day's end, the USGS had logged at least 29 earthquakes measuring 2.5 or greater.

Activity escalated sharply through the evening. A 4.4 magnitude foreshock struck at 8:03 p.m., followed by a 4.0 magnitude quake at 8:13 p.m. The largest event of the swarm — a 4.5 magnitude earthquake at a depth of more than nine miles — arrived at 8:39 p.m., the USGS recorded.

Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones told ABC7 Los Angeles that earthquake swarms of this kind are a typical pattern for the Imperial County region. The Caltech Seismological Laboratory also monitored the activity.

Kathleen Singh, an eyewitness who contacted ABC7 Los Angeles, described the experience in real time. "I was just scared. All of a sudden, it was a big jolt, and everything started moving. I was like, 'Holy crud.' They just kept on coming and coming and coming and coming. And as we're speaking right now, I do feel it rumbling beneath me," she said.

The city of Brawley issued a statement following the event: "At this time, there are no reports of significant damage or threats to public safety. However, residents are encouraged to remain alert and prepared, as aftershocks may occur."

Aftershocks continued into Saturday night. Brawley sits in a seismically active corridor near the southern end of the Salton Sea that has historically experienced repeated swarm activity.