How you could get an early warning for the next big quake At2:39 a.m.Thursday, millions of Bay Area residents from Sacramento to San Jose were shaken awake by the rolling tremble of a 4.4 magnitude earthquake. But four lucky people got a head start, receiving warning notifications before the shaking even started. Using a free app called QuakeAlert, the beta-testers received notifications. Developed by Santa Monica, Calif.-based Early Warning Labs, QuakeAlert is one of the few ways Americans can get advance notice of a quake.(Wired)
The article refers to an app on the mobile phone available in Japan. I have had that on my phone when I lived and worked there and saw generally two types of responses in the (Japanese) people around me. Some people were less startled when an earthquake did occur, whereas others got more nervous due to the announcement of an earthquake coming. So for some it had a positive impact (less stress) whereas for others the app caused more stress. The app could not indicate how strong the quake would be, which often caused extra anxiety. On top of that: the alarm came often so late that it arrived almost at the same time as the quake itself. By far not enough time to do something to prepare yourself.
"But four lucky people got a head start, receiving warning notifications before the shaking even started". My interpretation of this sentence is that notification was very shortly before shaking.
The experience I had was that it varied: there were cases where the warning was some 20 seconds before any tremor was felt. And in other cases the warning and the tremor came at almost the same instance.
It is indeed a rather strange experience to live in an earthquake-prone area: you get used to it, but at the same time you never get used to it.
Was in Hilo for a bunch of 'em in the 70's including a 7.4 mag. Since most local houses at the time were single wall construction, my dad thought it a great idea to pound the walls in the wee hours of the morning (usually after a fifth of vodka or Spanada), months after that earthquake. I will never live in a single wall house. Ever. Was also living in LA for their various temblors including the Northridge. Dogs went nuts before they hit. Fuck earthquakes.
I know - I live in one. I can never get used to it, to be honest, I feel terrified every time I feel a tremor.
Tsunami Warning A magnitude-7.9 quake has struck in the Gulf of Alaska, prompting tsunami warnings in Alaska and British Columbia. Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii have also been put on tsunami watch. Elsewhere on the Ring of Fire, a magnitude-6.1 quake struck Indonesia and a volcano erupted in Japan. Fortune