SACRAMENTO — Continuing to lead the country in emergency management and disaster preparedness, California’s first earthquake early warning system, implemented under the leadership of Governor Gavin Newsom, provided advance notification to more than 2.2 million Californians before the onset of shaking for the 5.1 magnitude earthquake that was felt across the Bay Area on Tuesday.
These advance notifications provided up to 19 seconds, in many locations, for Californians to take protective measures to “drop, cover and hold on” and stay safe during the earthquake. An estimated 2.1 million Android users received the notification directly on their phone without the need for an additional app as the state’s partnership with Google brings the technology to all Android smartphones, in addition to over 95,000 MyShake app users who also received the warning.
“California continues to harness the power of science and technology to help keep our communities safe. In the event of an earthquake, seconds can save lives. That’s why California continues to invest in new and emerging technologies to protect the most vulnerable among us,” Governor Newsom said.
There were no reports of significant damage or injuries related to the earthquake, whose epicenter was in the community of Seven Trees and was felt across large parts of northern California. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), which operates the earthquake warning system on behalf of the state, continues to coordinate closely with local officials in the affected area to assess any issues or unmet need.
Due to the success of Tuesday’s performance, the Earthquake Early Warning System saw more than 108,000 new downloads of the MyShake app in a single day, a record high.
In addition to emergency alerts sent to individuals via MyShake and Android, the underlying technology is also used to automate protective actions such as slowing trains, opening fire station doors, recalling elevators, closing valves water and gas as well as closing bridge doors and informing school and medical personnel.
“While California has faced fires, drought and even a global pandemic, the greatest threat we face to life and property in our state is a significant earthquake in one from our major population centers,” Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci said. “Tuesday was another big step in testing our technology, but there’s still work to be done to prepare for the next big one.”
Warnings issued through the system are based on a computerized program called ShakeAlert, operated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in partnership with Cal OES which analyzes data from seismic networks in California, calculates preliminary magnitudes, and then estimates areas that will feel shaken. .
In 2019, on the 30th anniversary of the deadly Loma Prieta earthquake, Governor Newsom announced the launch of the first statewide earthquake early warning system.
The California Earthquake Early Warning System combines a smartphone app with traditional alerting and warning methods such as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The system uses ground motion sensors from across the state to detect earthquakes before humans can feel them.
Building on this success of the Governor’s 2019 launch, Governor Newsom announced in 2020 a partnership with Google to bring California Earthquake Early Warning technology into all Android smartphones.
To date, over two million users have downloaded the California MyShake app available online at https://apps.apple.com/app/id1467058529
To learn more about earthquake preparedness and to download the Earthquake Early Warning app, visit: www.earthquake.ca.gov.
How to receive alerts
To receive earthquake warnings, there are three ways individuals and families can receive alerts through the California Earthquake Warning System.
MyShake App: Free smartphone app that provides iPhone users with audio and visual alerts, available in English and Spanish.
Android Earthquake Alerts: Android phones with updated operating systems are automatically subscribed to Android Earthquake Alerts, which uses the same technology as the MyShake app; and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA): Free text messages for emergencies sent through the nationwide system providing vital information for the State of California. To register, visit http://www.calalerts.org/
HomeBase function
The MyShake app launched its latest enhancement called HomeBase in 2022. This feature allows users to set a default location where they can receive earthquake early warning alerts, even if location services are temporarily disabled. unavailable or disabled.
This will increase MyShake’s ability to send timely alerts so Californians affected by an earthquake can receive warnings at a location of their choosing and prepare for a shaking.
To enable the HomeBase feature, users need to update their MyShake app and go to the Settings page, where they will find an “Add HomeBase location” button.
HomeBase functionality differs from a feature already in the app where users can receive earthquake notifications for other locations, even in other countries. For example, if users want to receive notifications for earthquakes that occur where family or friends live, they can add those locations under Settings > Notifications.