Magnitude 4.4 Earthquake Hits Los Angeles Area; Hollywood Reacts on Twitter
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake, initially reported as magnitude 4.7, hit Los Angeles on Monday, March 17. The majority of Hollywood celebrities that live in the area went on a roll of Twitter updates.
If not for the "sudden shake," Hollywood would have woken up to the usual St. Patrick's Day morning. But there is no exception. The event shook the celebrities awake.
"Pretty Little Liars" star Lucy Hale called the earthquake as nature's alarm clock while "Sin City" star Jessica Alba admitted that she hated being woken up by a quake.
Actress Kelly Osbourne, on the other hand, made an interesting reaction on Twitter when she shouted out that the earthquake scared the sh-t out of her.
Initially registered as 4.7, the earthquake was downgraded to magnitude 4.4 by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Los Angeles Times reported that the quake was experienced by the majority of people in Southern California, but it was felt strongly in the Westside and Valley.
Reports on the Los Angeles earthquake confirmed that there were no injuries or damages that took place.
"We did our initial survey and it was felt only. No reports of any damage," Los Angeles County Fire Supervisor Michael Pittman told LA Times.
Joe Ramallo of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said that as of 6:45 a.m. there were no reports of water main breaks or power outages immediately following the earthquake. But he said crews are conducting routine safety checks after the quake to ensure their durability.
"Material Girls" star Hillary Duff shared on Twitter that everyone was safe although the earthquake had clearly been unpleasant.
Geophysicist Paul Caruso told CNN that, in general, the major damage or casualties of an earthquake wouldn't be anticipated if the magnitude is weaker than 5.5. He added, though, that results may vary by region, which mostly depends on "construction codes and types of rock that exist underground."
According to USGS, the earthquake happened at 6:25 a.m. Pacific Time with the center about 6 miles (9 kilometers) north-northwest of Westwood, 6 miles (10 kilometers) northwest of Beverly Hills, 7 miles (12 kilometers) of west Universal City, 7 miles (12 kilometers) north of Santa Monica and 349 miles (562 kilometers) south-southeast of Sacramento, California.
Here are some of the reactions coming from Hollywood celebrities via Twitter:
OMG! Did anyone just feel that Earthquake? So scary, woke me up out of an already scary nightmare. I hate earthquakes. :( — Paris Hilton (@ParisHilton) March 17, 2014
That was the scariest earthquake this lil New York girl ever experienced in Cali. Unbelievable this time.
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) March 17, 2014
Earthquake was scary? Were all ok though! Anyone else feel it? — Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) March 17, 2014