An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9, followed quickly by a jolting 3.4 aftershock and then a series of additional shakers, rattled the Coachella Valley and a wide area nearby starting just before 6 p.m. Monday — but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The initial temblor struck at 5:56 p.m. and was followed about a minute later by the first aftershock, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Several other aftershocks of 3.3, 3.4 and 2.9 followed in the minutes after — and another of 3.5 was recorded around 6:51 p.m.
The first shaker was centered about 5 1/2 miles northeast of Indio Hills, 12 miles north-northeast of Indio, 14 1/2 miles north of Coachella and 16 1/2 miles northeast of Palm Desert, the USGS reported. It was at a depth just under 2 miles.
No damage was immediately reported, but reports said the shaking was felt as far away as Redlands, as well as in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and much of the Coachella Valley.
Reports also filtered in about the shaking being felt in Riverside, Mission Viejo, Los Angeles, Thousand Oaks and the Salton Sea area.