Few emergency calls reported in H.B. after earthquake

A magnitude-5.4 earthquake that rocked Southern California caused little or no damage in Huntington Beach, local authorities said.

The Chino Hills-centered temblor occurred at 11:42 a.m., according to a preliminary earthquake report from the Caltech Seismic Net website. Authorities said few emergency calls came in as a result.

The earthquake, originally estimated at 5.8, was felt in Huntington Beach, approximately 25 miles from the epicenter. The quake was 7.6 miles deep.

No injuries or property damage was reported in Huntington Beach as of 12:15 p.m., according to Battalion Chief David McBride of the Huntington Beach Fire Department.

The Huntington Beach Fire Department had no emergencies caused by the quake to respond to, dispatchers said. But firefighters followed standard procedures to check their engines for damage — none was found, according to dispatchers.

Huntington Beach Hospital also reported no incidents.

“There were no adverse events due to the earthquake, no patient issues and no structural issues,” said Debra Culver, director of marketing and public relations at the hospital.

Local phone lines were jammed by calls following the quake. The California Office of Emergency Services has put out a notice to ease off on telephone use so that legitimate 911 calls can get through.

Cell and land lines throughout the area are “maxed out,” the office’s spokesman Kelly Huston said.