Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake Strikes Off Santa Barbara Coast

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Santa Barbara County Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

According to the USGS, the earthquake struck at 1:38 p.m. in the Pacific Ocean about 16 miles southwest of the town of Lompoc. The epicenter is about 53 miles west of Santa Barbara, 35 miles southwest of Santa Maria and more than 50 miles south of San Luis Obispo.

As of 2:00 p.m., visitors to the USGS website from as far away as Los Angeles County reported feeling the earthquake.

The National Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami resulting from the earthquake is not expected.

This marks the third quake above a 2.8 Thursday. Earlier a 2.8 quake rumbled the Carmel Valley area, and a 3.5 was recorded near Gilroy.