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A fault line we didn't even know to be scared of flares up—and Angelenos react with GIFs

Written by
Brittany Martin
Earthquake
Photograph: Kelly Flanagan/Flickr
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Another tectonic warning that "the big one" we’ve been told to fear could come at any time rolled through the region last night when at 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit near the desert town of Borrego Springs. While the population is fairly sparse immediately around the epicenter and the rumbles were subtle enough that many LA residents reported sleeping right through the whole thing, it nonetheless served as a scary (and for some, literal) wake-up call.

This quake was centered along what is known as the San Jacinto fault line. No movie starring The Rock has yet been made about this fault line, but the LA Times reports that experts consider it to be at least as active and dangerous as the more famous San Andres. Worse yet, it runs for a 130 mile stretch cutting through the Inland Empire, meaning more people live directly atop the San Jacinto, potentially putting them directly in harm’s way should the predicted 7.5 quake eventually strike.

Scary future predictions aside, we’re grateful to report that this particular shaker was pretty much harmless. It was just enough to stir some Angelenos out of sleep long enough to tweet about it. Here are some our our favorite reactions to the quake, captured in GIFs. 

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