PLAY PODCASTS
ShakeAlertLA - California’s earthquake early warning system

ShakeAlertLA - California’s earthquake early warning system

The mobile app that will warn southern Californians if an earthquake is heading their way

Discovery · BBC World Service

March 11, 201928m 26s

Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (open.live.bbc.co.uk) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.

Show Notes

Los Angeles is a city of Angels, and of earthquakes. Deadly earthquakes in 1933, 1971 and 1994 have also made it a pioneer in earthquake protection – for example with tough engineering standards to save buildings. Since 2013, with the help of scientists at the US Geological Survey, the city has been developing a resilience plan which culminated in the release of an app that should give residents precious seconds of warning when an earthquake starts. Roland Pease meets the scientists, the Mayor and the officials making the system work.

Picture: An apartment after the Northridge earthquake in 1994 Credit: Getty Images