WEATHER ALERT
Earthquake strikes near San Francisco
Read full article: Earthquake strikes near San FranciscoA 4.5 magnitude earthquake rocked California's Bay Area this week. The epicenter of the seconds-long quake, which happened around 10:30 p.m. local time, was in the Pleasant Hill area, less than 30 miles from San Francisco, according to the US(CNN) - A 4.5 magnitude earthquake rocked California's Bay Area on Monday. The epicenter of the seconds-long quake, which happened around 10:30 p.m., was in the Pleasant Hill area, less than 30 miles from San Francisco, according to the US Geological Survey. But it could mean there's a heightened chance of a bigger quake over the next few days near the Calaveras Fault, a branch of the San Andreas Fault system, she said. There's a 36% chance of aftershocks measuring magnitude 3 or higher in the week following the quake, most likely near the epicenter, the USGS forecasts.
California's earthquake alert app gets upgrade
Read full article: California's earthquake alert app gets upgradeiStock/doguhakanLOS ANGELES - The first smartphone app in the country designed to alert the public before an earthquake has lowered the warning threshold across Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti says. Starting this month, earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or higher will draw alerts on ShakeAlertLA; the previous threshold was 5.0. The US Geological Survey, the Annenberg Foundation and AT&T, CNN's parent company, worked together to combine the Geological Survey's sensor network with mobile app technology. In July, Los Angeles area residents didn't get a warning from the app about the 6.4- and 7.1-magnitude earthquakes in Ridgecrest, about 150 miles from the city. "Many people were disappointed and surprised that the app didn't go off for an earthquake that they felt," US Geological Survey Early Warning System Coordinator Doug Given told CNN affiliate KCBS.
'Earthquake lady' urges cities, people to be prepared
Read full article: 'Earthquake lady' urges cities, people to be preparedDubbed "the Earthquake Lady," she's worked to make earthquake science more accessible to policymakers and the public. In 2014, she led a task force that recommended ways for Los Angeles to address its greatest earthquake vulnerabilities. You talk about earthquake amnesia, there's a lot of individuals who have forgotten (a big earthquake) really is our future ... but there are people in government who are trying to do what's best for the place. Almost every city in Los Angeles County has mandated retrofitting those, but in, say, San Bernardino, only (a few) cities have mandated retrofit. Santa Monica and Los Angeles have acted on those, but they're (also) the ones that will kill you.