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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.
All West Coast residents can now receive earthquake warnings on their phones washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A system already used in California and Oregon, called ShakeAlert, went live in Washington, but third-party apps, which are faster, aren’t available there yet.
UW News
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 Division 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.
“For the first time, advance warning of imminent earthquake shaking will be a reality in our region. Even just seconds, up to a minute of warning is enough to prepare yourself and take cover actions that may spare you from injury or even save your life,” said Harold Tobin, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences and director of the PNSN, which operates the seismic monitoring in Washington and Oregon.