Dwight Howard -- I Was Pooping When Earthquake Hit

The 3.2 earthquake that rocked Beverly Hills this weekend definitely scared the crap out of Dwight Howard.

The newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers was leaving his Bev Hills hotel when we asked how he handled his very first L.A. earthquake, which hit Bev Hills at 3:36 AM on Monday.

"I was in the toilet ... and It shook me off the toilet," Dwight told us.

For the record, 3.2 is WEAK SAUCE ... the Northridge quake that hit back in 1994 was a 6.7 and lasted almost 20 seconds. The Sylmar quake in '71 was a 6.6.

So how does he feel about his new home now that he got his first taste of the tectonic terror?