Los Angeles Launches Earthquake Early Warning App
Getting immediate alerts on your phone when an earthquake is approaching is now available in the Los Angeles County area with the new ShakeAlertLA app. Finally, using my phone.
The app is available for download for Apple and Android phones, ABC News reports, and is capable of warning people twenty seconds before an earthquake starts. It may not sound like a big deal, but it could be the difference between life and death.
Previously, the system was only available to a limited group of beta testers, and satisfactory results were obtained in 2018. The application significantly expands the access to the system. Alerts are issued only when the earthquake is 5.0 or greater and when they are felt in the Los Angeles area. The notification is pretty intense, but you may need to read it to start driving:
“EARTHQUAKE, EARTHQUAKE, EXPECT A STRONG POINT. DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON. PROTECT YOURSELF NOW! “
The application was originally developed with the intention of expanding to the entire West Coast, but the federal budget for the sensor network was dropped. However, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has announced plans for expansion after the alert system is tested regionally, according to Curbed Los Angeles . The app is made possible in Los Angeles through partnerships with the city, the Annenberg Foundation and AT&T.
In addition to warning, the app also offers earthquake survival kit checklists, and what else you can do to prepare or recover. The app doesn’t need to be open to send you a notification, but it tracks your movements. Basically, it is necessary to know if you are in a danger zone. If you can use this service, you should.
And if you’re in an area that can use it, demand it: 20 seconds of warning might be exactly what you need. Contact local representatives; The Los Angeles implementation could not have taken place without the support of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The Los Angeles Times also reports that the Early Warnings Lab, which also works with the USGS, hopes to release its version of a similar app called QuakeAlert to serve statewide. You can register with them to become a potential beta tester. The more people are interested, the more likely it is that such systems will be built.