How USGS' Earthquake Warning System Could Change Future Disaster Preparedness

When a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Southern California on Tuesday, residents in the region's most densely populated areas got early warning.

“The area was about 20 miles from the epicenter near Lamont when we started getting these positive alert times, where people started getting some time between getting the alert and feeling the shaking,” said Robert DeGroot, communications and education coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert service.

The ShakeAlert app is designed to notify people in earthquake-prone areas of impending ground shaking. The system collects ground shaking data from stations across the state and sends the information to data collection centers. From there, it’s sent to telecommunications companies, which send notifications to phones, either through the Myshake app or the national emergency alert system.

Related Story | Dozens of Aftershocks After 5.2-Magnitude Earthquake Hits California

“In all areas, from detecting the Earth’s motion to inserting something into someone’s hand, we are always trying to save even fractions of a second,” De Groot said.

This technology has been around for years, but on Tuesday in Southern California, many residents had — for the first time — enough warning to act before an earthquake struck.

It was a special night for ShakeAlert in many ways.

On X, Californians posted their reactions, with one saying they were “impressed we got more than 20 seconds of early warning,” and another noting that “the early warning system… has gotten better.”

“It was like time stopped,” Pasadena resident Kathy Degner said of the moment she received the alert. “It took five seconds for me to feel the vibration, which is a long time. I think it’s a valuable tool. I think it needs to be worked on. I had friends around me who didn’t get an alert.”

Related Story | 75% of US population at risk of devastating earthquakes, new data shows

“The ShakeAlert system is constantly improving, which is why we take advantage of every earthquake and every opportunity to improve,” De Groot added.

It's a sign that pioneering technology has tangible value and a promising future for protecting not only people, but infrastructure as well.

“How can protecting a system like the Los Angeles Metro, for example, protecting the train system, benefit [us]“If we can tell them that an earthquake is happening even when it's just starting, how will that affect their ability to move people and things after the earthquake is over?” De Groot said.

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