An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 struck the Los Angeles area shortly after noon on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

People reported feeling it strongly across the Los Angeles area. A medical building shook and residents said glasses and dishes rattled in many places. The Los Angeles Fire Department said it received no initial reports of damage or injuries as it checks infrastructure citywide.

The National Weather Service said a tsunami was not expected.

The quake was felt from greater Los Angeles south to San Diego and east to the Palm Springs desert region, according to the USGS community reporting page. A small number of reports were filed from the southern San Joaquin Valley about 100 miles northwest of LA.

"Having lived through the Northridge earthquake (magnitude 6.7 in 1994), today's tremor made me flash back to what we know are lifesaving rules during an earthquake: drop, cover, and hold on. It was also a reminder to us all that we live in earthquake country and we need to be prepared," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.

The quake comes less than a week after a 5.2 magnitude temblor hit southern California and was also widely felt in Los Angeles. That quake caused no injuries or major damage.

Monday's quake was centered near the Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park in the northeast section of the city, about 7.5 miles (12.1 kilometers) below the surface.

It struck on the first school day for the Los Angeles Unified School District. At least one high school, John Marshall in Los Feliz, alerted parents that they had evacuated the buildings to check for damage, but didn't see any immediately.