California unveils new earthquake warning system
Californians are getting their first look at the state’s brand new early warning earthquake app.
The ” MyShake ” app released today statewide.
The system doesn’t predict quakes, but it does detect them. It calculates the location and intensity of a tremor as soon as it starts. It then sends out an alert if the magnitude is 4.5 or higher.
The alert system will share the same network used for Amber Alerts.
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley developed the app. It’s available for download to IOS thru iTunes, and through Googleplay for Android devices.
The release of the app coincides with the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. It killed 63 people, injured nearly 38-hundred, and caused intense damage from Santa Cruz to the San Francisco Bay area.