A clip of local Los Angeles news hosts’ seemingly confused reaction to the earthquake that rattled San Diego and parts of Southern California on Monday triggered laughter from the audience of Jimmy Kimmel Live.
A clip from the show uploaded to YouTube on Monday, which had been viewed more than 800,000 times at the time of writing, showed the scenes in the newsroom as the earthquake hit.
What To Know
“This all happened while the morning news shows were on the air,” Kimmel said. “This was the scene this morning at our local Good Day L.A.”
The show then cut to a clip from the local outlet of anchors Maria Quiban, Araksya Karapetyan, and Sandra Endo discussing the earthquake alerts. As they were doing so, one said “I feel it now.”
“Is this a test?” asked Quiban. The hosts said they could see the studio’s lights shaking as a result of the tremor, which drew laughter from Kimmel’s audience.
“If this was a test, they somehow got your whole building to shake—that’s a hell of a test,” quipped Kimmel.
How Big Was the San Diego Earthquake
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck near Julian, a mountain town in San Diego County, California. The quake occurred at 10:08 a.m. local time and was felt by as many as 40,000 people, according to USGS.
People walk around following an earthquake on April 14, 2025 in Julian, California. People walk around following an earthquake on April 14, 2025 in Julian, California. Ariana Drehsler/Getty Images
The earthquake’s epicenter was located near the Elsinore fault zone, part of the larger San Andreas fault system, seismologists told Newsweek.
A smaller 3.5-magnitude foreshock occurred the previous day in the same area. Following the main quake, several aftershocks were recorded, most of which were around a 2.6 or 2.8 magnitude, Newsweek reported on Monday.
At the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, a herd of African elephants exhibited protective behavior by encircling their young during the tremors.
According to Lucy Jones, a visiting associate in geophysics and founder of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society, the earthquake was “felt over a very large area” extending from San Diego and even areas south of the California-Mexico border all the way north to Los Angeles.
What People Are Saying
News commentator Collin Rugg on X, formerly Twitter, with a screenshot of the earthquake alert: “My entire building was shaking.”
USGS seismologist Elizabeth Cochran told Newsweek that the quake struck along the Elsinore Fault, which is “relatively quiet, normally.”
Cochran said it was preceded by 14 foreshock events.
What Happens Next
At least eight aftershocks were recorded following the main quake, Newsweek reported on Monday.
Among the strongest was a magnitude 4.0 that hit less than 20 minutes after the magnitude 5.2 quake.
