A 4.7-magnitude earthquake centered in Malibu, California, shook the Los Angeles area Thursday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 2.8 aftershock was recorded in Malibu two minutes after the initial quake. A magnitude 3.4 aftershock was also recorded 12 minutes after the initial quake.
California’s earthquake early warning system, the first in the nation, “provided advance notice to millions of Californians,” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said in a statement.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) estimated that millions of people received wireless emergency alerts through the state’s public-private partnership with Google, which integrated the alert software into Android cellphone operating systems.
Phones in the affected areas received notifications from the MyShake app, which sent 425,217 alerts. After the earthquake, the app was downloaded more than 20,000 times in just three hours.
In addition to sending emergency alerts, California is also using technology to automate protective actions such as opening fire station doors, recalling elevators, shutting off water and gas valves and closing bridge doors and notifying staff at schools and medical facilities, Cal OES said in a statement.
This aerial view shows Malibu Pier in Malibu, California on August 31, 2023.
Jae C. Hong/AP, ARCHIVES
“Even as the state grapples with wildfires, we must always be prepared for other potential disasters. Thanks to our earthquake early warning system, millions of people in Southern California received alerts on their cell phones when the shaking began,” Newsom said in a statement.
The California Earthquake Early Warning System combines a smartphone app with traditional methods of alerting and warning delivery, known as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The earthquake detection system uses ground motion sensors across the state to detect earthquakes before humans feel them, according to the governor’s office. Under the state’s direction, “50 percent more sensors have been installed since the program began, making the system more accurate and able to deliver warnings more quickly.”
No significant damage was reported, the Los Angeles Fire Department said.
