Southern California Faces Increased Risk of Major Quake this Week

An unusual swarm of earthquakes in the Salton Sea area has significantly increased the likelihood of a major temblor rattling Southern California, according to seismologists.

Hundreds of small earthquakes have struck since Monday, and seismologists are concerned the stress could set off the Big One on the nearby San Andreas fault. As of Friday, the risk of a major quake along the San Andreas was as high as 1 in 500, revised down from 1 in 100 earlier in the week during the swarm’s peak, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A major quake on the San Andreas would be a magnitude 7.0 or higher.

“Swarm-like activity in this region has occurred in the past, so this week’s activity, in and of itself, is not necessarily cause for alarm,” the USGS said in a statement Friday afternoon. “These revised probabilities are lower than those made earlier this week, due to decreasing swarm activity. The probabilities may change if the swarm activity increases or decreases.”

The danger was enough to trigger a warning from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services reminding communities to be prepared for the increased potential for earthquakes over the next week.

“California is earthquake country. We must always be prepared and not let our guard down,” said Mark Ghilarducci, Director of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. “The threat of an earthquake on the San Andreas Fault hasn’t gone away, so this is another important opportunity for us to revisit our emergency plans and learn what steps you need to take if a significant earthquake hits.”

The swarm of quakes began Monday with three sizable temblors in the sparsely populated desert community.

The largest, a pair of magnitude-4.3 quakes that struck at 7:31 a.m. and 8:23 p.m. Monday.

This is a good time to review earthquake tips from the American Red Cross:

• Become aware of fire evacuation and earthquake safety plans for all of the buildings you occupy regularly.
• Pick safe places in each room of your home, workplace and/or school. A safe place could be under a piece of furniture or against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you.
• Practice “drop, cover and hold on” in each safe place. If you do not have sturdy furniture to hold on to, sit on the floor next to an interior wall and cover your head and neck with your arms.
• Keep a flashlight and sturdy shoes by each person’s bed in case the earthquake strikes in the middle of the night.
• Make sure your home is securely anchored to its foundation.
• Bolt and brace water heaters and gas appliances to wall studs.
• Bolt bookcases, china cabinets and other tall furniture to wall studs.
• Hang heavy items, such as pictures and mirrors, away from beds, couches and anywhere people sleep or sit.
• Brace overhead light fixtures.
• Install strong latches or bolts on cabinets. Large or heavy items should be closest to the floor.
• Learn how to shut off the gas valves in your home and keep a wrench handy for that purpose.
• Learn about your area’s seismic building standards and land use codes before you begin new construction Keep and maintain an emergency supplies kit in an easy-to-access location.

Find a full Earthquake Safety Checklist here.Download the free Earthquake App courtesy of the American Red Cross!
Text “GETQUAKE” to 90999 or search “Red Cross Earthquake” in the Apple App Store or Google Play

Image: Patch file photo of Napa Earthquake