Tuesday’s magnitude 5.2 earthquake in Kern County was felt across much of Southern California. Before the quake, over half a million Californians were warned of the impending quake through the smartphone app Myshake.
And that has sparked the interest of many new people.
“We often see an increase in downloads during seismic activity. But 47,000 new downloads! People in California and across the state decided to download the Myshake app within the first 12 hours of this earthquake,” said Jon Gudel of the California Office of Emergency Services.
San Diego County has its own earthquake warning app, developed by the county’s emergency services department.
Office manager Jeff Toney said land sensors across the state connected to the app are picking up the first bursts of energy that we don’t feel. These first waves of energy are called P-waves.
United States Geological Survey
“The S-wave that comes after that is the shock wave where you feel the quake. So there is time between these energy sources where you can take personal protective measures before the quake starts,” Toney said.
The time you have to prepare to shake is measured in seconds.
“If you’re directly above it, you might be able to get away with a few seconds. So it really depends on your proximity to the epicenter,” Toney said.
California and the U.S. Geological Survey have so far placed nearly 1,000 ground sensors across the state and have a goal of adding 130 more. So what do you do when your phone alerts you maybe ten seconds before the quake starts?
“On a personal level, drop, take cover and hold on. A sturdy piece of furniture, a desk, a table, whatever. That’s your best option,” Toney said.
