Southern California residents started off the new year with the ground beneath them trembling.  A 4.1 magnitude earthquake just rocked Los Angeles hours into the New Year.

 

The quake’s epicenter hit just off the coast of Palos Verdes at 8:27 AM PT , January 1, but people living in Hollywood and Pasadena felt it.

 

Wild natural occurrences have battered Southern California recently with huge waves bouncing over a seawall in Ventura last week, injuring eight and causing dozens to flee.

Unclear how much, if any damage, was done by the New Year’s tremor, but it was nothing compared to the devastating quakes felt by Japan yesterday.

 

Three powerful, successive earthquakes hit the island nation on New Year’s Eve with the biggest reaching a 7.6 magnitude.

 

Roads and bridges sustained major damage while tsunami warnings were quickly issued by the government. More than 97,000 people were forced to evacuate according to Reuters.