The 5.2 magnitude earthquake in Kern County Tuesday was felt throughout much of Southern California. Prior to the shaking, more than half a million Californians were warned of its coming by the Myshake smartphone app.
And that got a lot of new people interested in it.
“We see that a lot when you have seismic activity, you have an increase in downloads. But 47,000 new downloads! People in California, anywhere in the state opted to download the Myshake app within the first 12 hours after this earthquake,” said Jon Gudel, with the California Office of Emergency Services.
San Diego County has its own earthquake warning app, created by the county office of emergency services.
Office director Jeff Toney said land sensors throughout the state, linked to the app, pick up on the initial bursts of energy that we don’t feel. Those first energy waves are called P waves.
“It’s the S wave that comes after that’s the shock wave where you’ll feel the shaking. So between those sources of energy, there’s time where you can take personal protective action before the shaking starts,” Toney said.
The time you have to prepare for the shaking is measured in seconds.
“If you’re right on top of it you might get a couple of seconds. So it really depends on your proximity to the epicenter,” Toney said.
California and the US Geological Survey have so far placed nearly 1,000 land sensors around the state, with a goal of adding 130 more. So what do you do when your phone gives you that warning, maybe ten seconds before the shaking starts?
“On a personal level, drop, cover and hold on. A sturdy piece of furniture, desk, table what have you. That’s your best bet,” Toney said.
