On rare occasions, the USGS sensors will misidentify an earthquake. In one case, a magnitude 6.7 quake struck off the coast of Alaska. When its waves reached sensors operated in California, they were mistakenly interpreted as a 5.1 temblor near the Oregon border. The USGS has worked to prevent these mistakes, but they can still occur. When they do, The Times will update any posts that have been published.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 24, 2019 18:48 UTC