Smartphone app brings earthquake alerts to Washington residents

Close-up of a man holding and using a smartphone.

boonchai wedmakawand / Getty Images

Smartphone users in Washington can now get life-saving alerts thanks to the MyShake app, which issues push notifications to devices when an earthquake is detected.

The free app, available for iOS and Android, was designed by seismologists and engineers at the University of California, Berkeley. It’s designed to alert users to danger seconds before the shaking from an earthquake begins.

Today, @MyShakeApp is moving to Washington State, providing an additional way to get notified about earthquakes seconds before they happen. Look for MyShake in the places where you download apps.

Find direct links and information at https://t.co/jgb81wLRwD #ShakeAlert pic.twitter.com/ubTismfIPU

– WA Emergency Management (waEMD) January 26, 2022

In a press release about the launch of the app in Washington — previously only available in California and Oregon — Maximilian Dixon, a geohazard supervisor at the Washington Department of Emergency Management, said the app could be important in helping people avoid infection.

“Getting seconds of warning before an earthquake strikes might not seem like much, but there is plenty of time to back off, cover, and hang on to protect yourself,” he said. “Practicing how to fall, cover, and hold as soon as you receive an alert or feel the shaking of an earthquake, will help you do it faster.”

The app uses data collected by the US Geological Survey’s earthquake warning system – called ShakeAlert – which uses 1,150 seismometers to scan the West Coast for earthquakes. About 230 Washington seismometers contribute information to this system.

When seismographs detect the fast-moving primary P waves of an earthquake, scientists will determine their location and the ShakeAlert system will predict their size and strength. If the earthquake appears to be above a certain degree, it is hoped that users of the MyShake app will be notified before the slower and more destructive S waves of the earthquake hit the area.

A graph explaining the various earthquake alert delivery systems now available in Washington.

Washington Department of Emergency Management

Earthquake alerts have been available to Washington residents since May, but only for Android users—these devices come with a separate built-in alert system—and for those who have signed up to receive wireless emergency alerts. The latter system is the same system used to issue AMBER alerts.

Now, with the MyShake app, earthquake alerts are available to everyone in Washington with a smartphone. It is available through the Apple App Stores or Google Play. It has been downloaded nearly two million times since its inception in 2019.

The app managed to deliver alerts to users before it was shaken by several earthquakes in California since its official release there. Recently, it provided warnings to nearly half a million phones for a 6.2-magnitude earthquake near Petrolia, California, on December 20.

The app will notify users if an earthquake of at least a magnitude of 4.5 is detected near their area. This is relatively weak by seismic standards.

In general, earthquakes of between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude can be felt but will not cause significant damage, if any. Earthquakes between 5.5 and 6.0 are likely to cause damage, and anything that scores at 6.1 or higher can cause significant damage.

The last earthquake in Washington with a magnitude above 6.1 was the 2001 Nisquale earthquake. Occurring deep in the southern region of Puget Sound, the 6.8-magnitude earthquake injured several hundred people and caused material damage ranging from $1 billion to $4 billion dollar.

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