Experts have long been predicting a potentially devastating earthquake in California. On the evening of August 6th, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit the northwest of Los Angeles, fortunately with no reports of casualties or damages so far. Prior to the earthquake, millions of people received early warnings through a mobile application.
The epicenter of Tuesday night’s earthquake was about 85 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, followed by dozens of aftershocks measuring above 2.5 magnitude, with the highest reaching 4.5 magnitude, causing tremors in most parts of central and southern California. Many residents in the San Gabriel Valley’s Chinese community also felt the tremors.
Due to its geographical location, California experiences the highest number of earthquakes in the United States, averaging over 10,000 earthquakes annually. In recent years, more and more experts have been warning that the risk of a catastrophic earthquake of magnitude 7 or higher in California is imminent, surpassing the expectations of most people. The likelihood of a 6.7 to 7 magnitude destructive earthquake occurring within the next 100 years is 75%.
Therefore, the state government is actively promoting an earthquake early warning system called “MyShake” to remind people to be prepared for disasters at all times.
Nancy Ward, director of the California Office of Emergency Services (OES), stated, “The system played a role in Tuesday’s earthquake event. This demonstrates that Californians have received more protection on the eve of a major earthquake.”
Within 12 hours after the earthquake on Tuesday, the number of new downloads of the MyShake application exceeded 46,692.
The Governor’s Office announced on Wednesday that the earthquake warning system issued emergency alerts to millions of California residents, with some alerts being sent out 35 seconds before the earthquake began.
Governor Gavin Newsom stated in a release, “Our investments in cutting-edge innovative technology are paying off, efforts like these are providing Californians with warnings and securing crucial seconds before the ground starts shaking. I encourage all Californians to download this application, it can save lives!”
California’s MyShake warning system officially launched in October 2019 and relies on the support of the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system by the U.S. Geological Survey. The MyShake system analyzes data from the California Seismic Network, calculates preliminary earthquake magnitudes, detects seismic waves, and issues alerts.
The system also utilizes ground sensors spread throughout California to detect earthquakes before humans are able to perceive them.
The MyShake application can be downloaded for free on Google Play or the Apple Store on smartphones; after downloading, users need to enable location services to connect the application with the ground sensors that issue warnings.
When the earthquake intensity reaches 4.5 magnitudes or higher, the MyShake application on the phone will issue a warning; when the intensity reaches 5 magnitudes or higher, a wireless emergency alert (similar to emergency SMS messages) will be sent out. Currently, the warning content is available in both English and Spanish versions.
In 1994, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Northridge in Los Angeles, resulting in 72 deaths and billions of dollars in economic losses. Earthquakes, big and small, have continued in recent years.
The state government reminds all residents that upon receiving a warning from the MyShake system, they should immediately take the “Drop, Cover, Hold On” earthquake survival steps until the shaking stops. If seeking cover, one should get under a sturdy table or crouch beside an inner wall or lower furniture that won’t collapse, making sure to stay away from windows, glass, overpasses, or places where objects may fall from above; if driving, one should immediately pull over safely and engage the handbrake.