In 2019, the state launched the nation's first statewide earthquake early warning system. It's powered through Shake Alert, which is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey.
"While we may never be able to predict earthquakes, we are now able to very quickly detect earthquakes," said Jose Lara, the Seismic Hazards Branch Chief for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
How does a Shake Alert work?
Once there is a Shake Alert, the warning system triggers alerts through different platforms, including: MyShake App, Android, Wireless Emergency Alerts.
The first two have a lower threshold for earthquake magnitudes (4.5 or higher) while the third option requires a 5.0 magnitude or higher.
Why didn't I get an earthquake alert?
The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services said the primary reason for not getting the alert before the shaking through the MyShake app is proximity. The closer you are to the epicenter, the less time to receive the alert.
CAL OES recommends downloading the MyShake app, making sure your emergency notifications are enabled and turning on the local awareness option.
"Let's say a large scale earthquake happens 50 miles from there, you're going to feel it strongly, and that's why you want to have the MyShake app downloaded," said Lara.
More than 3 million people have the app already.
"Within seconds, you're able to take protective actions, such as drop, cover, and hold on, which may be the difference between you sustaining an injury during earthquake or not," said Lara.
This story was originally published in 2024.