Quakes Continue To Swarm Imperial County

BRAWLEY (CBSLA.com) — A series of moderate to light earthquakes continued to rattle parts of the Imperial Valley Monday morning, Cal Tech officials said.

The largest quake occurred around 12:31 p.m. Sunday and measured a magnitude of 5.5, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

As of Monday morning, more than 300 quakes have been reported in the small farming community, according to the USGS website. Most have ranged in magnitude from 2.5 to 4.1.

Brawley is located near the Salton Sea, an area known for being rattled with small to moderate quakes. The most recent swarm occurred in 2009.

The recent tremors have shattered windows, caused trailer homes to be pushed off their foundations and merchandise thrust off shelves.

The quakes also caused several water main breaks, gas leaks and forced a local hospital to be evacuated.

Approximately 2,500 people were left without power, officials said.

There have been no reports of any injuries or structural damage.

Cal Tech scientists say it is unlikely the earthquake swarm will have an impact on the San Andreas Fault.