The shock was felt as far north as Santa Maria and south into northern Baja California , and was described by seismologists as having been stronger than the 1933 Long Beach earthquake that heavily affected southern California , but no one was killed and only relatively minor damage occurred . A few injuries , some serious , occurred at the Palm Springs Theater during the rush to evacuate the building , and another man was injured by falling merchandise and required hospitalization . In Downtown Los Angeles , buildings swayed , windows were broken , and cracks appeared in buildings . Similar types of damage was also present in Twentynine Palms , El Centro , and Yucca Valley
1933 Long Beach earthquake
1933 Long Beach earthquake
1948 Desert Hot Springs earthquake