LA HABRA -- The magnitude-5.1 earthquake centered just east of La Habra on Friday night appears to have caused no major widespread damage but left many Southern California residents on pins and needles as scores of aftershocks were felt during the night.
The earthquake struck at about 9:09 p.m. and was preceded by two foreshocks registering at magnitude-3.6 and magnitude-2.1, officials said.
"It (the damage) all appears to be cosmetic," said Sgt. Kyle Davis of the La Habra Police Department.
Nearly 40 people spent the night at a Red Cross shelter at the La Habra Community Center at 101 West La Habra Boulevard, but Davis said there were no mandatory evacuations ordered and those who stayed at the center did so of their own accord.
A man picks up fallen goods at a CVS store after an earthquake on Friday, March 28, 2014, in La Mirada, Calif. A magnitude-5.1 earthquake was widely felt
A man picks up fallen goods at a CVS store after an earthquake on Friday, March 28, 2014, in La Mirada, Calif. A magnitude-5.1 earthquake was widely felt in the Los Angeles area and surrounding counties Friday evening, but authorities said there were no immediate reports of significant damages or injuries. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ( Jae C. Hong )
In Fullerton, however, 25 homes were red-tagged after the earthquake.
Southern California has not experienced a devastating earthquake since the 1994 magnitude-6.7 Northridge quake killed several dozen people and caused $25 billion in damage.
Preliminary data suggest Friday night's 5.1 magnitude earthquake occurred near the Puente Hills thrust fault, which stretches from the San Gabriel Valley to downtown Los Angeles and caused the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake, USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said.
"It's a place where we've had a lot of earthquakes in the past," she said.
The 5.9 Whittier Narrows quake killed eight people and caused $360 million in damage.
Officials said Friday night that broken glass, gas leaks, water main breaks and a rockslide were reported near the epicenter, according to police and fire officials and social media reports.
Public safety officials said crews were inspecting bridges, dams, rail tracks and other infrastructure systems for signs of damage. The Brea police department said the rock slide in the Carbon Canyon area caused a car to overturn, and the people inside the car sustained minor injuries.
Larry Van Osten, right, talks on the phone as he and other residents stand outside their condo complex during a power outage caused by an earthquake on
Larry Van Osten, right, talks on the phone as he and other residents stand outside their condo complex during a power outage caused by an earthquake on Friday, March 28, 2014, in Buena Park, Calif. A magnitude-5.1 earthquake was widely felt in the Los Angeles area and surrounding counties Friday evening, but authorities said there were no immediate reports of significant damages or injuries. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ( Jae C. Hong )
Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully was on the air calling the Angels-Dodgers exhibition game in the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium.
"A little tremor here in the ballpark. I'm not sure if the folks felt it, but we certainly felt it here in press box row," Scully said. "A tremor and only that, thank goodness."
Tom Connolly, a Boeing employee who lives in La Mirada, the next town over from La Habra, said the magnitude-5.1 quake lasted about 30 seconds.
"We felt a really good jolt. It was a long rumble and it just didn't feel like it would end," he told The Associated Press by phone. "Right in the beginning it shook really hard, so it was a little unnerving. People got quiet and started bracing themselves by holding on to each other. It was a little scary."
Friday's quake hit a week after a pre-dawn magnitude-4.4 quake centered in the San Fernando Valley rattled a swath of Southern California. That jolt shook buildings and rattled nerves, but did not cause significant damage.
Reports of natural gas leaks began flooding in to officials once the shaking stopped, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Ed Pickett said Friday.
"We've got reports of lots of gas leaks in the Rowland Heights and La Habra areas," he said.
As firefighters made their way through the affected areas, they found the leaks to be minor, Pickett said. Most were in La Habra.
But a broken water pipe flooded a CVS Pharmacy along Nogales Street in Rowland Heights, he said.
Authorities were working to assess and attend to the damage, Pickett said.
The earthquake sent rocks tumbling onto the Holt Avenue offramp of the westbound 10 Freeway in Covina, creating a traffic hazard, according to CHP officials. No other earthquake damage had been reported to the CHP late Friday.
Shengzao Chen, a USGS geophysicist, said his office had not heard of any injury reports.
"Right now, it's pretty good," Chen said. "But we have to keep our eyes open to see what's going on. The magnitude is 5.1 which is not big or small, it's a middle quake. It's also a shallow quake."
There were more than a dozen aftershocks following the 5.1 magnitude quake, with magnitudes as high as 3.6, according to the USGS.
Water bubbles up through the pavement along Gilbert Street just south of Rosecrans in Fullerton Friday night March 28, 2014 following an 5.1 earthquake.
Water bubbles up through the pavement along Gilbert Street just south of Rosecrans in Fullerton Friday night March 28, 2014 following an 5.1 earthquake. Police closed off the street as crews placed cones around the area. (AP Photo/The Orange County Register, Mark Rightmire) ( Mark Rightmire, )
Claremont police Lt. Shelly Vander Veen said there was no reported damage on Friday night in Claremont.
"We felt the same thing everyone else will say -- a jolt," Vander Veen said.
A rockslide Carbon Canyon Road in Brea caused a car to overturn, causing only minor injuries, Brea police officials said. The road was closed between Valencia Avenue and the county line as officials cleared the roadway.
Southern California Edison officials reported about 2,000 customers were without power late Friday as a result of the earthquake.
Officials in Pasadena surveyed the city following the quake and found no signs of injury or damage, Pasadena Fire Department officials said.
The larger quake was preceded by a magnitude-3.6 earthquake reported in the same area, about 1 mile southeast of La Habra, according to seismologists at Caltech in Pasadena.
In a statement issued late Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said no damage had been reported in the city.
"Tonight's earthquake is the second in two weeks, and reminds us to be prepared," the mayor said. "L.A. residents can visit http://www.readyla.org/ for guidance on how to best prepare for the next earthquake, including potential aftershocks."
The smaller tremor occurred at 8:03 p.m. with an epicenter about a mile southeast of La Habra, according to a statement issued by Caltech. That quake's depth was initially reported to be about 4 miles below the surface.
Looking forward, seismologists estimated the likelihood of another quake stronger than the original 5.1-magnitude shock over the next seven days at 5 to 10 percent, according to the USGS.
"Most likely, the recent mainshock will be the largest in the sequence," the agency said in a written statement.
The chance of "strong" aftershocks -- those with a magnitude of 5 or greater -- over the next week was estimated by USGS seismologists at 10 percent.
Aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 3 to 5 are expected to be relatively common over the coming days.
"Approximately three to 20 small aftershocks are expected in the same seven-day period and may be felt locally," according to the USGS statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report