The initial quake was reported at 2 a.m. A magnitude 3.5 struck just three minutes later, followed by a magnitude 2.8 at 2:22 a.m. and magnitude 2.6 at 2:38 a.m., the USGS said.
"This morning's M4.2 quake off the coast of Malibu is a reminder that we live in #earthquake country," the Los Angeles County of Emergency Management said in a tweet.
There was no threat of a tsunami, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center.
The Los Angeles Fire Department went into "complete earthquake mode" and conducted a citywide assessment early Wednesday morning. No injuries or damages were reported, and the agency has resumed normal operations, the LAFD said on its website.
The earthquake was felt as far north as Oxnard and as far south as Long Beach, the USGS map showed. The California Offices of Emergency Services said in a tweet that an emergency alert from the MyShake app, an earthquake early warning system, was sent to residents, warning them that a quake was expected and to stop, drop and cover.
Residents across Los Angeles reported on social media that they were startled by the flurry of temblors.
"Wow. That was big," actor Josh Gad tweeted.
Jenise Spiteri, an Olympic snowboarder, said on Twitter that was the "biggest one I've felt in a long time."
Other residents reported being jolted awake, and some reported sleeping through the event.
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The first earthquake occurred at a depth of about nine miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by signing up for our Unshaken newsletter, which breaks down emergency preparedness into bite-sized steps over six weeks. Learn more about earthquake kits, which apps you need, Lucy Jones' most important advice and more at latimes.com/Unshaken.
©2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
