Washington launched the ShakeAlert earthquake warning system on May 4

CAMP MURAY, WASHINGTON – After years of preparation, the Earthquake Early Warning System in Washington will be officially launched on May 4, the Washington Military Department announced Monday. With Washington activated, ShakeAlert’s West Coast rollout will be completed, having already started in Oregon earlier in March.

In Washington, the system is jointly managed by the United States Geological Survey and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. Early warnings will alert residents a few seconds before shaking begins, helping to reduce the risk of injuries and protect critical infrastructure.

The system is welcomed by country leaders as one part of a greater preparedness plan.

“Nothing can replace families who have a contingency plan in place and ready for at least two weeks,” said Governor Jay Inslee. “We all know that an earthquake can strike at any time. An Earthquake Early Warning System can provide the critical time Washington people need to drop, cover, and hold together.”

The system does not predict earthquakes but can quickly detect tremors as they occur, providing quick estimates of earthquake size, location, and potential for shaking. Officials said notifications will arrive via cell phones as a wireless emergency alert, and its functionality is likely to extend to third-party apps after the system boots up.

According to state officials, having just a few seconds to get ready can be critical.

“Since the majority of earthquake-related injuries are caused by people hitting objects falling or falling while in motion during shaking, seconds of warning will allow people to take precautionary measures before the shaking begins, reducing the chance of injury,” the Washington Military Journal reported. Department Books. “The system also has the ability to automatically close water valves to protect the water supply, raise fire station doors so first responders can take out vehicles and equipment, slow trains so they don’t get derailed, and even warn hospitals against stopping surgeries, among many other capabilities. Pilot projects in Washington are already testing this technology to reduce earthquake damage.

Even with the system starting up, there is still a lot of work to do. The USGS will work with state and university partners, including the University of Washington, to bring more seismometers online through 2025. Currently, officials estimate that the sensor network in Washington is only 65 percent complete.

Aside from devices, further upgrades are planned to enhance the effectiveness of notifications.

“Additional work is needed with alert distribution partners to improve the speed of delivery of alerts to cell phones for all earthquakes,” the officials wrote. “Algorithms that estimate earthquake magnitude and vibration continue to be tested and optimized to ensure system performance in giant confidence events (such as the Cascadia ‘Big One’ subduction zone).”

Before the arrival of May 4, residents are encouraged to check that “wireless emergency alerts” are activated on their phones.

Here’s how:

For iPhone devices:

Click “Settings”> “Notifications” and scroll to the bottom of the screen. Under “Government Alerts”, click on “Emergency Alerts” and “Public Safety Alerts” to turn them on or off. If the emergency alerts are triggered, the circuit will be on the right side of the switch. You will get WEAs on your iPhone and no further action is required. If the emergency alerts are turned off, the circle will be on the left side of the switch. You will need to click on the toggle switch to put it in “On” position. You will now have WEAs on your iPhone and no further action is required. Watch a video demonstrating this on iPhone.

For newer Android phones, the exact location may vary:

Administrators recommend that you use the search function in “Settings” to find “emergency alerts” or “public safety messages”. If you cannot find Emergency Alerts by searching in Settings, you may be in the Messaging app instead. Ensure that all alerts are turned on (eg “severe threats,” “severe threats,” and “public safety messages”). If the alerts are turned on, the circuit will be on the right side of the switch. You will get WEAs on your Android phone and no further action is required. If the alerts are off, the circle will be on the left side of the switch. You will need to click on the toggle switch to put it in “On” position. You will now have WEAs on your Android phone and no further action is required. For further questions, please refer to the mobile phone company and / or the mobile phone manufacturer’s website for additional information.

Residents can learn more about activating alerts at the state and county level on the Department of Emergency Management website. Those who are curious to learn more about the Early Warning System are also encouraged to attend a free webinar scheduled for Thursday, April 29th.

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