By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Southern California and southwest Arizona remained on earthquake alert Monday evening after a weeklong swarm rattled Imperial County.
Read more Sky School brings hundreds of students to Mount Lemmon for research
Nearly 300 earthquakes have struck the area in the past seven days, with the strongest reaching a 4.7 magnitude.
The shaking was felt across Imperial County, but residents in Brawley, California, say the recent activity stands out from the occasional quakes they’re used to.
“I remember hearing a rumbling sound—it sounded like it was going to be a big earthquake,” said Thomas Berry, a Brawley resident. “But I didn’t expect it to be that big.”
Berry said the quake hit quickly while he was walking his dog, knocking out power across parts of the city and leaving his home littered with broken glass. He said that items were also thrown from shelves inside local grocery stores.
Another resident, Mia Gomez, said she felt the strongest shaking from the fourth floor of her apartment complex.
“I was on the bed…scrolling and talking when I felt that bigger one,” Gomez said. “I remember thinking this is really big.”
Read more Prescott man flees trial for attempted kidnapping hoax to cover gambling debt
Gomez said the quake caused minor damage at her complex, including broken pipes that forced some neighbors to evacuate.
“There were water leaks on each floor—I was able to see cracking,” she said.
Why it’s happening and what to expect next
Imperial County is no stranger to seismic activity. Ramon Arrowsmith, a professor of Earth and space exploration at Arizona State University, said the quakes are centered beneath Brawley in a region influenced by major fault systems.
“What is going on is that the big faults that allow for western California to move to the northwest due to plate tectonics…the Imperial Fault and the San Andreas fault,” Arrowsmith said.
Arrowsmith said swarms in this area can last up to two weeks, and that this activity is considered fairly normal. He added that the swarm does not necessarily mean a major earthquake is imminent.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Read more Grandson accused of stabbing grandmother 11 times over Mother’s Day dinner dispute