The 1948 Desert Hot Springs Earthquake occurred on December 4, 1948 at approximately 3:43 PM Pacific Standard Time. It was a right-lateral strike-slip event on the South Branch of the San Andreas fault. The epicenter of temblor, reported as being of various magnitudes between 6.0 and 6.5 in magnitude,^[1][2][3] was about five miles east of Desert Hot Springs, California, but the earthquake was felt over a very large area, including locations as far away as central Arizona, Mexico, and northern and coastal California. Aftershocks were felt into 1957.^[3]

The city of Palm Springs, California was hardest hit, with structural damage ranging from minor to the collapse of a furniture store. Several other locations in California suffered significant damage. School buildings were destroyed in Palm Springs and Wildomar, California; significant damage was also reported from Los Angeles, San Diego, Escondido, and Corona. Several injuries were reported, but no deaths.^[4]

References

External links

• http://moho.ess.ucla.edu/~kagan/calnames.txt Named California Earthquakes (UCLA)
• Southern California Earthquake Data Center Home Southern California Earthquake Data Center
• City of Desert Hot Springs - Earthquake Preparedness City of Desert Hot Springs - Earthquake Preparedness