A 4.5-magnitude earthquake was reportedly felt in southern California and struck about a mile south of San Bernardino (about 55 miles east of Los Angeles) on Thursday evening. Fortunately, no major damages or injuries were caused, local authorities said.

The tremor, which initially measured 5.0 degrees on the Richter scale, struck at 7:50 p.m. (10:50 p.m. ET) and was also felt in downtown Los Angeles, parts of the High Desert, San Pedro and coastal and inland Orange County. The “hard jolt” lasted for about five to eight seconds and caused some minor cracks in the concrete, according to San Bernardino Fire Department spokesman Steve Tracy, quoted by The Los Angeles Times.

The earthquake was centered a mile from San Bernadino's city hall and had a depth of 10 miles, said Dr. Egill Hauksson, a seismologist with the Earthquake Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Hauksson added that there are about 10 quakes like this one every year in that area.

Witnesses who called the KCAL9 local television network said they heard a loud rumbling noise shortly before the quake struck. In some cases, the tremor knocked objects from shelves.

In July, L.A. was jolted by an earthquake which measured 5.4 degrees on the Richter scale. It was the strongest tremor that hit the city in the past 14 years.

Geology experts expect a very powerful earthquake to hit the region. The probability of “the Big One” shaking California in the next 30 years is of 99%.

In anticipation of such a destructive earthquake, the state of California carried out a massive drill at which more than 5 million people participated. The drill was meant to teach the California residents how they should react in case a powerful quake hits.