California's governor has called for heightened security in response to the terrorist incidents on the U.S. East Coast. Tourist parks in the state have closed and public agencies have sent home nonessential workers.
California Governor Gray Davis closed all state office buildings, and federal buildings were under tight security. Federal agents carrying automatic rifles guarded a U.S. government building in West Los Angeles, admitting only building workers with identification.
The major movie studios closed, as did tourist theme parks such as Disneyland and Universal Studios.
Los Angeles International Airport is also closed. It was the destination of at least two of the aircraft involved in the apparent terrorist incidents. It was also the destination of a third plane that crashed near Pittsburgh.
At John Wayne Airport, south of the city, security officers were on alert. After federal officials shut down national air traffic, a spokeswoman for the airport said passengers should postpone their travel.
"We have a nationwide ground stop on all flights," she said. "No incoming, no departing flights here at John Wayne Airport."
The story was the same at other West Coast airports.
There have been no terrorist attacks on the West Coast, but police in Los Angeles and San Francisco declared a tactical alert, mobilizing anti-terrorist units as a precaution. The Los Angeles police chief said federal aviation officials have assured him that all aircraft still in flight have been accounted for, and none appears to pose a threat to the city.