Cellphone earthquake alerts debut in Washington state, completing West Coast network
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Print article SEATTLE One of the most terrifying things about earthquakes is the way they strike without warning. That’s going to change just a tiny bit in Washington beginning Tuesday. For the first time, residents will be able to get alerts on their cellphones seconds before the ground under their feet starts shaking enough time, hopefully, to get to a safe spot and avoid injury. Californians have been tied in to the earthquake early warning network called ShakeAlert since late 2019 and have already received advance notifications of several small-to-moderate quakes. The system went live in Oregon two months ago. Washington’s addition completes the rollout of a technology inspired by networks in Japan and Mexico and developed over the past 15 years by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Washington, Caltech and other institutions.
Wash. Earthquake Warning System Launches With Limitations
Washington is rolling out technology that will send residents a warning about earthquakes up to a minute before impact, but the warnings may not reach everyone until the state invests more in the notification system.
May 03, 2021 •
Shutterstock (TNS) One of the most terrifying things about earthquakes is the way they strike without warning. That s going to change just a tiny bit in Washington beginning Tuesday.
For the first time, residents will be able to get alerts on their cellphones seconds before the ground under their feet starts shaking enough time, hopefully, to get to a safe spot and avoid injury.
May 4, 2021 at 1:44 pm
Karl Hagel and Pat McChesney, field engineers with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network team at the University of Washington, install earthquake monitoring equipment on the slopes of Mount St. Helens, with Mount Hood in the distance.
(Credit: Marc Biundo, University of Washington. Courtesy of Marc Biundo/University of Washington)
If an earthquake hits Washington, the state’s new ShakeAlert system will let you know seconds before you even feel the shaking.
ShakeAlert launched on Tuesday, May 4.
“Even with a few seconds of warning, people’s behavior is different,” said Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. “Instead of panicking when they feel the shaking start, not knowing what to do, it gives you that moment to collect your thoughts, take those life safety operations, and drop, cover, and hold on.”
What Japan s massive 2011 earthquake means for the Pacific Northwest king5.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from king5.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
What we can learn from the 6.8 Nisqually earthquake 20 years later
By Brian Flores
20 years after the 6.8 Nisqually quake
In 2001, a powerful earthquake hit the Nisqually area, injuring hundreds and causing billions of dollars of damage.
NISQUALLY, Wash. - On Feb. 28, 2001, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nisqually, injuring hundreds of people and causing billions of dollars in damage.
Now, 20 years later, how has Washington changed in response to the Nisqually quake? Understanding that the earth is actually in motion and that there is plate tectonics going on is what first hooked me in, University of Washington professor Harold Tobin said in 2019. We can help society if we understand faults better.