Californias earthquake warning app: how it works and what comes next

Seconds before an earthquake hits anywhere in California, people nearby will now get a warning on their smartphones to duck and cover. The first state-wide early warning system in the nation launched today, on the 30th anniversary of the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake that killed 63 people in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The early warning system will reach people in two ways: through an app called MyShake and through the existing wireless emergency alerts that sound an alarm on cellphones for flood warnings and missing children (Amber Alerts). If all goes well, it will give people up to “tens of seconds” of advance notice before they might feel the ground shaking.

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