ESPN’s Malika Andrews handled herself in a calm and collected manner as an earthquake rattled the Los Angeles studio from which she was broadcasting live.
“The ‘NBA Today’ host was interviewing basketball analyst Rebecca Lobo via video call when the quake shook the walls of the studio and jolted the cameras, sending the broadcast into a brief state of disarray,” Variety reported.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck Los Angeles County at approximately 12:20 p.m. local time, with the epicenter in Highland Park, northeast of the downtown area, according to KABC-TV.
“We have a bit of an earthquake here in Los Angeles,” Andrews said, halting the interview. “So we’re just going to make sure that our studio lights [and] everything stays safe. Everything is shaking.”
She next checked on the camera crew and the people in the control room.
“Thank you so much for bearing with us through that. Our studio was shaking just a little bit,” Andrews reiterated. “I appreciate you just bearing with us here.”
ESPN Los Angeles studio shaking from an earthquake during NBA Today and Malika Andrews handled it like a pro. pic.twitter.com/KPGndlCx01
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 12, 2024
Andrews posted on X afterwards, “Definitely a scary moment here in our LA studios. Thank you to our incredible staff and crew who stayed cool throughout! Stay safe, fellow Angelenos.”
Lobo wrote, “I was stunned by both the earthquake and how [Malika Andrews] handled it like a boss. Wow.”
I was stunned by both the earthquake and how @malika_andrews handled it like a boss. Wow. https://t.co/WZeRWsRUpb
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) August 12, 2024
“It was a jolt,” one woman who teaches at a nursing school in Glendale told KABC. “And then the building just started to shake violently. It wasn’t those nice roll-y ones we get. I had to hold on to the door jamb.” Glendale was close to the epicenter.
Here’s how some SoCal residents reacted when a 4.4-magnitude #earthquake struck Los Angeles County! ????
More #quake info here: https://t.co/NdMaoPhY9X pic.twitter.com/pQKZTVc5WX
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) August 12, 2024
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted on X that earthquake mode for city government was triggered and that officials would be conducting a survey of the area for damage.
From @LAFD
LAFD personnel have surveyed the City of Los Angeles by land, air and sea following the 4.4 earthquake at 12:20 PM PST centered near Highland Park, CA (as updated by USGS).
No significant infrastructure damage or injuries have been noted within the City of LA. https://t.co/6VbRWZD58B
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) August 12, 2024
“No significant infrastructure damage or injuries have been noted within the City of LA,” the L.A. police department later reported, based on the fire department’s survey by land, air and sea.