M 3.5 - 6 km WSW of Hermosa Beach, CA

Source: USGS · Southern California

A magnitude 3.5 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 6 km WSW of Hermosa Beach. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M3.5 is classified "Minor". Among the 1,838 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M3.5 event ranks stronger than 32% of them (rank #1,179 by magnitude).

The earthquake report, at a glance

Magnitude
M 3.5
USGS class
Minor
Location
6 km WSW of Hermosa Beach
Archive rank
#1,179 of 1,838
Source
USGS
Published
September 27, 2026
MINOR

Sits above 32% of the 1,838 earthquakes in the archive by magnitude; 1,178 ran stronger.

Record status: a point-in-time USGS detection. Aftershocks, revised magnitude, and felt-report data continue to update on USGS's own event page after publication.

What Happened

A magnitude 3.5 mlr earthquake occurred at 05:00:01 UTC on October 28, 2026 (1790523601580 Unix time). The event was located 6 km WSW of Hermosa Beach, CA, at a depth of 11.85 km.

Location Details

The epicenter was at coordinates 33.8442°N, 118.4650°W. The depth of 11.85 km classifies this as a shallow earthquake (less than 20 km), which can produce more noticeable shaking at the surface compared to deeper events.

Impact Assessment

The earthquake was felt by 1 person, with a maximum reported intensity of II on the Community Decimal Intensity scale and a Modified Mercalli Intensity of 3.2. No tsunami advisory was issued (tsunami flag: 0) and no alert level was assigned.

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude are classified as minor and are often felt but rarely cause damage. Residents in the area should be prepared for possible smaller aftershocks in the coming days and follow standard earthquake safety practices such as dropping, covering, and holding on during shaking.

Source

Data provided by the USGS. Event page

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

All Earthquakes →

Similar notices nationwide by length or severity timing 8

Beyond this USGS earthquake report's own category, Areazine surfaces two nationwide peer sets: length-matched and severity/date-matched notices from elsewhere in the archive, distinct from the same-feed Related list above.

Common Questions

What people usually ask about a notice like this one.

What was the magnitude of this event? ▾
A magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck 6 km west-southwest of Hermosa Beach, California on October 28, 2026.
What does an M3.5 "Minor" reading actually indicate? ▾
The USGS classifies M3.5 as "Minor" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are rarely felt beyond the immediate epicenter and typically cause no damage; most are recorded only by seismographs.
Where does this event rank against Areazine's other recorded earthquakes? ▾
This is the #1,179 strongest of the 1,838 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 32% of them and weaker than 1,178 others.
Was Hermosa Beach likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 6 km WSW of Hermosa Beach. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.