4.6M Earthquake Confirmed in Southern California Desert

January 27, 2020

A small earthquake rattled the Southern California desert on Friday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, the U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed.

A temblor with a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 struck at 7:03 p.m. and was centered about 14 miles northeast of Barstow in San Bernardino County, according to the USGS.

The quake felt like a “good jolt,” but there were no reports of damage or injuries, county sheriff’s spokeswoman Cynthia Bachman said in an email.