California’s earthquake warning system notified millions ahead of today’s Southern California quake
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Sep 13, 2024

California's earthquake warning system notified millions ahead of today's Southern California quake

What you need to know: The state's earthquake Early Warning System notified millions of Californians through emergency alerts — some up to 20 seconds before shaking started.

SACRAMENTO – California's first-in-the-nation Earthquake Early Warning System provided advance notification to millions of Californians in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties this morning about a 4.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred near Malibu.

The 7:28 a.m. earthquake, centered 4.4 miles north of Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountains, was felt across large portions the greater Los Angeles area.

The Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), which oversees California's earthquake warning system, continues to coordinate closely with local officials in the impacted region to evaluate any issues or unmet needs, and cautions Californians in the areas to stay away from steep slopes to avoid falling or sliding debris in the event of aftershocks.

Phones in the affected areas received notifications thanks to the state's MyShake app, which sent 425,217 alerts. Cal OES estimates that millions more received wireless emergency alerts thanks to the public-private partnership between the state and Google, which has integrated the alert software into their Android cell phone operating systems.

"Even as the state contends with wildfires, we must always be ready for other potential disasters. Thanks to our Earthquake Early Warning system, millions of people in Southern California received alerts on their mobile phones when shaking began, giving them vital seconds to drop, cover and hold on. I encourage all Californians to download the MyShake app and allow emergency alerts on their cell phones to receive these timely notifications, especially for earthquakes that could do far more damage."

Governor Gavin Newsom

Following the earthquake, there were more than 20,000 new downloads of the MyShake App in just 3 hours.

In addition to the emergency alerts sent to individuals through MyShake and smartphones, California is also using the technology to automate protective actions such as opening firehouse doors, recalling elevators, shutting off water and gas valves as well as closing gates on bridges and notifying personnel in school and medical settings.

"All Californians should download the MyShake app on their mobile phones to help them prepare for earthquakes," said Cal OES Director Nancy Ward. "With these notices, people can take life-saving steps before shaking begins."

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In 2019, on the 30th anniversary of the deadly Loma Prieta earthquake, Governor Newsom announced the launch of the nation's first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System.

Building on this success of the Governor's 2019 launch, in 2020 Governor Newsom announced a partnership with Google to incorporate California's earthquake early warning technology into all Android smartphones.

Warnings delivered through the California Earthquake Early Warning System are powered by ShakeAlert, a computerized program operated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with Cal OES that analyzes data from seismic networks in California, calculates preliminary magnitudes, and then estimates which areas will feel shaking. Seismic networks partners include the California Geological Survey, University of California, Berkeley Seismological Laboratory and California Institute of Technology Seismological Laboratory.

The California Earthquake Early Warning System marries a smartphone application with traditional alert and warning delivery methods such as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). With the recent integration of early warning technology within the most popular smartphones in California, the system can deliver alerts to most Californians. The system uses ground motion sensors from across the state to detect earthquakes before humans can feel them. Under the state's leadership, 50% more sensors have been installed since the program launched making the system more accurate and able to deliver alerts faster.

How to receive alerts

To receive earthquake warnings, there are three ways for individuals and families to get alerts through the Earthquake Warning California system.
  • MyShake App: Free smartphone app that provides iPhone users with audio and visual warnings, available in both English and Spanish.
  • Smartphones: The majority of smartphones with updated operating systems are automatically subscribed to earthquake early warning which uses the same technology as the MyShake App; and
  • Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs): No-cost text messages for emergency situations sent through the nation-wide system providing lifesaving information for the State of California

To learn more about earthquake preparedness and download the earthquake early warning application, visit: www.earthquake.ca.gov.

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