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It’s time to make sure your phone will get Washington’s new ShakeAlert early earthquake warnings By Laurel Demkovich, The Spokesman-Review
Published: May 20, 2021, 7:29am
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OLYMPIA Washington residents with a cellphone in their pockets could have a short, but possibly critical warning before they feel the next big earthquake.
Earlier this month, Washington joined California and Oregon in using the U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert system for earthquake early warning. The program, which has been in the works since 2006, picks up shaking from sensors built across the state and sends alerts to residents nearby seconds before the ground starts moving. Depending on where they’re located in proximity to the epicenter, cellphones will receive a warning seconds or tens of seconds before the ground shakes.
Getting Washington’s New ShakeAlert Earthquake Warning
Earlier this month, Washington joined California and Oregon in using the U.S. Geological Survey s ShakeAlert system for earthquake early warning. The program has been in the works since 2006.
May 17, 2021 •
(TNS) - May 17 Washington residents with a cellphone in their pockets could have a short, but possibly critical warning before they feel the next big earthquake.
Earlier this month, Washington joined California and Oregon in using the U.S. Geological Survey s ShakeAlert system for earthquake early warning. The program, which has been in the works since 2006, picks up shaking from sensors built across the state and sends alerts to residents nearby seconds before the ground starts moving. Depending on where they re located in proximity to the epicenter, cellphones will receive a warning seconds or tens of seconds before the ground shakes.
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IMAGE: A team from the UW-based Pacific Northwest Seismic Network installs a new solar panel array at a seismic monitoring site in Enumclaw, Washington, on April 20, 2021. The seismometer, one. view more
Credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington
When the Big One hits, the first thing Washington residents notice may not be the ground shaking but their phone issuing a warning. The U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Washington-based Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, and the Washington Emergency Management District on Tuesday, May 4, will activate the system that sends earthquake early warnings throughout Washington state. This completes the tri-state rollout of ShakeAlert, an automated system that gives people living in Washington, Oregon and California advance warning of incoming earthquakes.
Earthquake Early Warning System Launches in Oregon insurancejournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from insurancejournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Quake alert system launched in Oregon
A mobile phone customer looks at an earthquake warning application on an iPhone in Los Angeles recently. An earthquake early warning system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey has been activated in Oregon. (AP File Photo/Richard Vogel)
By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press
SALEM, Ore. (AP) People in Oregon will be better prepared for earthquakes particularly important in the Pacific Northwest because experts say “the big one” is coming as an early warning system launched Thursday, the 10th anniversary of a devastating quake and tsunami in Japan.
California already has the system, while Washington state will join in May to complete coverage of the West Coast. The ShakeAlert system operated by the U.S. Geological Survey uses seismographic sensors to detect significant earthquakes quickly so alerts reach smartphones and people can seek cover before the shaking starts.