Finding out when an earthquake is about to start is the dream of many. Being notified with even a few seconds before the jolt can save your life, even if it means running outside in nothing but your underwear. It’s now totally possible!
ShakeAlert, an app notifying Americans who live on the West Coast of the US about upcoming earthquakes, might be your best bet for saving your life from such a jolt. Twenty seconds before a jolt is about to start, the app will alert you. A 20-second countdown will even be displayed on your phone’s screen so that you’ll know exactly how much time you have left until the shaking starts. That might be a short amount of time, but it can still be all you need to find cover beneath a solid structure or even go outdoors and remain far from tall buildings.
ShakeAlert was created by the US Geological Survey in collaboration with state and university partners.
We can certainly expect much broader applications of the ShakeAlert software app in the near future, way beyond the boundaries of the West Coast of the US, where it’s active now.
Here’s part of an official paragraph coming from the official website of the app in question:
Many partnerships to utilize ShakeAlert in authentic environments such as utilities, hospitals, transportation systems, and educational environments are active today and more are being developed. In 2022 and beyond, the USGS and its partners will continue to expand these applications in coordination with state agencies in Washington, Oregon, and California.
The good news is that most earthquakes occurring across the world are weak and barely noticeable, and they’ll even last for just a few seconds.
A scary fact about earthquakes is that aftershocks could even last for years after the main jolting event.
