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FirstPerson: Readers report on California quake

Msnbc.com readers report on the earthquake in Southern California, centered 29 miles east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles near Chino Hills in San Bernardino County.

Here are eyewitness accounts from msnbc.com readers who report feeling the 5.4 magnitude earthquake in Southern California:

Earth moves in North Hollywood
I have to say that this one definitely was a scary one, we are in the North Hollywood area just 5 minutes away from Burbank and about 50 Miles away from Chino Hills and the earth moved really strong up and down and then this rolling movement that went on for a good 30 seconds so it felt like it was gonna be a really big one, we remember the Northridge Earthquake so that's why we felt we needed to prepare for something bigger. Lets hope and pray to God that this is over.  Good Day and God Bless.
—George Marin

'Our whole house shook'
Hello my name is Caroline and I'm 16 yrs old and I live in La Habra, CA which is not that far from Chino Hills. We were effected very much. Our whole house shook and pictures fell down. All the cell phones in La Habra are down and landlines are working. The Internet is working too. I have heard that a brick building has fallen down in Whittier.
—Caroline Castellanos

Awakened by swaying
I'm in Point Loma and I was awakened by swaying for about 5 seconds.  Then I realized it was an earthquake.  I thought I was dreaming but I looked at a hanging light fixture and it was moving.  Nothing fell from the walls, no power outages, but it surely had my heart pumping!
—Tamara Ollison

Pool water sloshing around
I thought I had inadvertently moved the chair I was sitting in while talking on the telephone.  I looked out the living room window and saw the rose bushes swaying slightly even though there was no breeze. At that moment, the house rumbled as if a semi rolled by, the pictures on the wall started shaking, and I felt a jolt followed by rumbling.  My partner and I ran outside.  The pool water was sloshing around as if someone had just done a belly flop.  The quake lasted about 7-8 seconds and was the strongest we've felt here in Palm Springs since we moved here over a year and a half ago.
—Jack Murphy

City Hall rocks in Santa Barbara
We felt the quake here in Santa Barbara. City Hall was rocking for quite awhile!  At first I thought I was having a dizzy spell.
—Deborah Bush

People running out of their apartments
I was washing bottles and it felt like something under my feet and that is when my 4yr old Abby and Josh, 2, ran to me as I grabbed the 5-month-old and stood under a doorway. After like 5 minutes I still felt my body shaking. But the crazy thing is looking out of the window at people running out of their apartments.
—Jamie Barrera

Shaking like Jell-O in Irvine
At work in Irvine- Orange County, right next to John Wayne Airport. It was very strong and long. Didn't seem to come from any one direction- more like shaking jell. Haven't felt any aftershocks yet.
—Tonna Rizzi

In a restaurant when it happened
My friends and I had just sat down to eat lunch in a restaurant in Chino Hills, California.  A huge jolt shook the restaurant and the floor and windows immediately started shaking.  The hanging lamps were swinging wildly, and we were trying to decide whether we would be safer outside, or closer in the middle of the restaurant as the front of the restaurant was all windows.  By the time we decided to move closer to the middle of the restaurant, the shaking stopped.  It was a pretty nerve wracking few minutes that we will never forget.
—Connie Abayan

A roll and two booms
I am in Anaheim Hills along the Weir Regional Preserve and the quake here was violent.  There was a roll and 2 huge booms.  It was as though someone picked up the house and smashed it back down to the earth.  The water splashed out of the pool and spa, but luckily no damage.  That is except for my ego as I tumbled down the stairs to get to my elderly mother.  We do have a fault line that runs along the greenbelt behind our back yard, but not sure which fault it —Dhonniis Perfetti

New home responded well
My new Moreno Valley Rancho Belago two story home responded very well to this earthquate.  The second floor did comply by deflecting without any damage or further cause for alarm.  Though, it did scare me at first, since I had not felt a strong earthquate since I left CA in 1981.  I recall the early 1971 or 1972 earthquate as a child.  That one did cause a lot of damage in Maywood, CA at that time.  I recently returned to CA in early 2007.  I have experienced several earthquakes already.  But, I am confident the new CA building codes have come a long way towards enhancing the home compliance to our CA Earth movements. Abundant Blessings to all. Dios, Yo Confio en Ti!  Permitenos tu voluntad y guía para el empuje al exito sobre la vida en la tierra para alcansar tu Devino deseos.
—Simon A. González

Light posts swaying
We are in a 1-story cement office building located in Oxnard, CA (93030). The earthquake felt pretty strong here. There was no damage to property or injuries to anyone that we know of. It was a rolling feeling and it lasted for quite a few seconds. The light posts outside on the curb were swaying. I was on the phone with someone in Santa Clarita, CA and they felt it pretty strong as well. No damage or injuries were reported by them. Phone lines (land lines and cell phones) were down immediately following the quake but were restored within a few minutes.
—Rebecca Nubia

Quake felt in Las Vegas
I live in Las Vegas and was at work in North Las Vegas, I was sitting at my desk and I felt our one story office building "move".  When I went to lunch I heard about the earthquake...
—Rita White

Buzz Lightyear ride stops
Was at Disneyland at the time.  Did not feel anything, but the Buzz Lightyear ride stopped twice while we road it.  All the Disnyland rides are shutdown at the moment.
—John Swanstrom

Felt like a semi-truck
I work in East Brea and there was no rolling only a big drop and it sounded and felt like a semi truck ran into the building. We had stuff fall off shelves and ceiling tiles fall out of the ceiling but no major damage or injury.
—Brad Everett

House seemed to roll
I have lived in San Diego for over 60 years and this is the biggest roll I have ever felt.  My home is one story and was built in the mid 1940's, right after WWII, and usually just creaks for a few seconds.  I was sitting at my computer and my chair, which is on wheels, was rolling around while my house seemed to roll also. Within minutes my son called from Santa Barbara to see if we were ok.  He said he was in his office, and older wooden building, on the campus of UCSB, and he said everyone in his building felt it too.  He said everyone ran out of their office.  He called us right away to make sure it wasn't the big one that San Diego is expecting one of these days.  He said that the building he was in shook and rolled quite a bit, with no damage but cause for concern. I just wanted to share that it was felt as far north as Santa Barbara.
—Ann Zegler

Almost like bouncing
We are on the 12th floor of a building in El Segundo, CA. The building started to sway and rumble -- almost like bouncing — and it went on and on, seemed to never end! We are in a training class which includes people from out of state and they were panicked! Needless to say, we were released to lunch early!
—Valerie Ulrey

Thought someone hit car
I was driving on a city street when I thought someone hit my car, because I was shaking back and forth. Then I saw the street lights swaying back and forth so I knew what was up. Everyone stopped their cars and just rode it out. Then everything went right back to normal. Pft. What earthquake!
—Sander Schmidt

Jolted in the hallway
I work in Century City.  I felt it bad.  We are located on 14th floor and I was walking down the hall when we were jolted from one side of the hallway to the other side. It made me feel ill for a second.  Then it started again and we were told to leave the building via the stairwell.  I am originally from Maryland and moved out here in January.  What a welcome.  I was scared stiff but the others with me told me this was mild.  If this was mild, I don't want to see extreme.  God Bless us all.
—Chris Palmer

Felt vibration in floor
I was alone in my office in Westwood when I felt a strong vibration in the floor and through my chair.  I heard the building creaking and shaking. When it continued, I ascertained that it was an earthquake- the first one I myself have experienced in the four years I have been living in LA- and headed into the hallway. I remebered all of the things I have read about what you're supposed to do in these situations, but my first instinct was to get out of the building, so I headed for the door.  I don't know if the earthquake seemed to continue or if I was feeling aftershocks, but it seemed to go on for a long period of time.  Outside I saw other people filing out of nearby office buildings, but people who seemed to be already outside at the time of the earthquake- driving, feeding parking meters, smoking, etc. didn't seem to feel it.  I tried calling some friends in the area, but couldn't get through to their cell phones.  Within minutes, though, my Dad called me from chicago to see if I was alright. I coudln't believe how fast he heard the news!  Overall, it was a frightening but exhillerating experience.
—Corryn Cummins

Welcome to California
My son,age 10, and I felt the quake here in Ventura. We are about 50 miles north of Los Angeles.  At first we felt a strong bump then we started rolling.  My son and I quickly got up and went out the front door. I could see my front door shaking in the frame! Chandeliers and wind chimes that I have here in my home were swinging pretty good too. No damage that we can see.  We hope everyone in Southern California is safe.  For those not from here, you have been officially welcomed!
—A. Peterson

Cupboards opened
I live in Chino, south of the 60 freeway and felt it BIG TIME. All my cupboards opened, all my closet doors and dresser drawers opened, pictures feel off the wall and cupboard contents spilled out. After the big jolt then rolling like a ship.
—Kerry Walker-Pike

Minor damage suffered
We are in Pasadena at Villa Gardens, a retirement resort, we felt the earth quake as soon as it heppened. We suffered minor damage on the fifth floor of our establishment. No human damages to report, Thank God. It was a thrill for some of our residents and not so much of a thrill for most of our staff.
—James Williams

Parked cars rocking
In San Pedro, telephone polls were swaying dramatically, and parked cars were rocking from side to side.  It was strange.
—Brad Smith

Sounded like a big rig
I work over in Anaheim near Angel's stadium, it sounded like the train or big rig was going by really close and fast then all of a sudden everything was shaking.  i could see my office being in 2 different heights at once from the rolling vibrations.  We happened to be on the phone with a collegue who was drving and could see the actual road doing a wave.  it lasted for a while and we all sat here saying "is it done yet?" then once it was we were talking about it and the aftershock came and it was pretty bad by its self.  our company cell phones werent working correctly and it took us a while to make sure everyone was okay.
—Amber DeKruyf

RV was rocking
I am visiting in Oceanside in My RV. It felt like someone was in the front of the trailer and someone in the back and they were shaking the unit. My husband said maybe it was the wind but the trees were not that active.  I said to myself maybe a quake. My brother who lives in Huntington Beach called later and asked if I felt the quake. Alas, the truth!!!!!
—Lorraine Hicks

Felt 112 miles north
We live in Bakersfield, Calif., about 112 miles north of LA and we felt it here and saw the ceiling fan swaying.
—Richard Knettel

Strongest ever felt
I have lived through many quakes in Southern California but this one this morning was a real rocker. The strongest I have ever felt. My poor cat Hunter is still roaming around the floor trying to figure out what has happened (Seal Beach).
—Edward Castaldo

Dogs went nuts
We live very near the perimeter of the Chino Hills State Park. About a 1 1/2 - 2 miles from the epicenter. We were definitely Rocked and Rolled. Amazingly, nothing fell off shelves. Just a few things fell over. Our shepard and lab went nuts for a few minutes. Neighbors all went outside to stay safe. We all thought it was bigger than 5.4 because we didn't know we were the epicenter. We really thought there might be a real disaster at hand. We were all relieved to hear that there was not much damage. Praise God.
—Melinda Martin

Felt as if on a boat
I am a San Diego native, and I have felt many earthquakes (goes with the territory), however; this was the scariest thing I have ever experienced! We recently moved downtown to a high rise (28th story) in Little Italy, and when it started, I felt uneasy, but then it continued to shake and the entire building was swaying (feet, not inches). I felt as if I was on a boat. I was paralyzed...I didn't know what to do. I called my husband (San Diego P.D.) hysterically crying (normally, I'm calm in "emergency" situations. It is now 3:15, and I have finally stopped shaking! I think this "experience" constitutes a workout for today!
—TheresaMarie Fixsen