February 22, 2003 Earthquake: Big Bear City, California, United States
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Big Bear City, California, United States on February 22, 2003 at 12:19:10 UTC, 1 km below the surface.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- February 22, 2003
- Time
- 12:19:10 UTC
- Place
- Big Bear City, California, United States
- Magnitude
- 5.2 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 1 km (1 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 34.310° N, 116.848° W
- Country
- United States
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Slight damage (VI) at Big Bear City.
Felt (V) at Lucerne Valley and (IV) at Apple Valley,
Bloomington, Forest Falls, Hemet, Hesperia, Loma
Linda, Mentone, Morongo Valley, Newberry Springs,
Perris, Phelan, Redlands, Riverside, San Bernardino,
San Jacinto and Victorville. Felt throughout southern
California from Ridgecrest to San Diego and from Santa
Barbara to Brawley. Also felt at Las Vegas, Nevada. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 11, 1933, Long Beach, California, United States
- February 9, 1971, San Fernando, California, United States
- January 17, 1994, Northridge, California, United States
- December 8, 1812, San Juan Capistrano, California, United States
- October 1, 1987, Whittier, California, United States
- December 25, 1899, California, United States
- June 28, 1992, Landers, Yucca Valley, California, United States
- June 28, 1991, Arcadia, Glendale, Los Angeles, California, United States
- November 24, 1987, Superstition Hills, California, United States
- April 21, 1918, San Jacinto, Hemet, California, United States
- October 4, 1987, Whittier, Pasadena, California, United States
- July 4, 2019, Ridgecrest, Nevada, California, United States
- August 31, 1930, Southern, California, United States
- June 28, 1992, Big Bear Lake, Big Bear City, California, United States
- July 8, 1986, Palm Springs, California, United States
More
Significant earthquakes of 2003The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2003Recent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 5680.