Earthquake in California: Is The US Prepared To Tackle Natural Disasters?

A shallow magnitude 5.2 earthquake woke up the residents of California near Borrego Springs on early Friday morning. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at 1:04 a.m. Pacific time at a depth of -0.6 miles. The epicenter was 16 miles from La Quinta, 19 miles from Palm Desert, and 20 miles from Rancho Mirage, reported the Los Angeles Times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ayLGvajKDE

Seismologist Lucy Jones on her Twitter feed reported that several aftershocks were felt. Jones said that the earthquake occurred along the San Jacinto Fault, the most active fault in Southern California.

Meanwhile, social media is abuzz with status updates from the residents of San Diego and Los Angeles, reporting that they felt the tremors of the earthquake.

Amy Vaughan, a USGS geophysicist, pointed out that the earthquake has resulted in a series of aftershocks, according to Fox News. Vaughan said that the earthquake was strong enough to have woken up the sleeping residents.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said that the earthquake has not caused casualties so far.

The largest of the earthquakes occurred at 1:05 a.m. and was centered 13 miles north of Borrego Springs, according to River Side County News Source.

According to NBC News, the quake was followed by three aftershocks over the next three minutes. These earthquakes measured between magnitude 2.8 and 3.5. Another two aftershocks of the earthquake of similar magnitudes were recorded over the next 40 minutes. The epicenter was around 13 miles north of Borrego Springs, which has a population of around 3,500. The local police department told NBC News there were no reports of damage caused by the earthquake.

Paratroopers prepared for earthquake

Science Alert reported that this week, more than 20,500 personnel from the government and healthcare agencies took part in Cascade Rising, a huge training exercise designed by the U.S. government to prepare the Pacific Northwest for a catastrophic earthquake. Paratroopers also took part in the readiness drill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAHxn0VXOOQ

Chief Warrant Officer James Pierce said that parachuting may be the only option to get to remote locations that are rendered undrivable.

“It’s a good, effective way to get gear to the ground,” Pierce told U.S. News.

While no evacuations are taking place, Cascadia Rising is using various emergency scenarios to test communication capabilities, medical supply routes, and transportation issues, reported Science Alert.

Fortunately, seismologists say it’s more a question of if, not when, a mega-quake hits the region. The Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ), which runs for some 620 miles (997 km) from Vancouver Island to California, is the source of the concern – it’s been responsible for at least seven major earthquakes in the last 3,500 years.

#Earthquake shakes #California desert area: https://t.co/AHOi45pRxD pic.twitter.com/uy7SR25E9Y

— Local 12/WKRC-TV (@Local12) June 10, 2016

In a press release issued on June 6, Ken Murphy, the regional administrator for FEMA Region 10, said, “A 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake will be a disaster unlike anyone has ever seen. Cascadia Rising will test our own preparedness. It is exercises like this, ahead of a disaster, that foster coordination and help build relationships before a real world event occurs.”

“Oregon is looking forward to strengthening the partnerships with our local, tribal, state and federal partners through the Cascadia Rising exercise,” said Oregon Emergency Management director Andrew Phelps in the news release.

“This exercise gives Oregon, Washington, Idaho and FEMA Region 10 an invaluable opportunity to validate and improve upon the planning initiatives, training and other exercises we’ve undertaken over the past several years to prepare for the threat of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami. This exercise should also serve as a reminder to all Oregonians that individual and family emergency preparedness is key to augment an effective response to an earthquake or any disaster and begin the recovery process. Ultimately, the work we do leading up to the exercise and the lessons we learn in a controlled and evaluated environment will translate into lives saved during what could be the country’s biggest disaster,” Phelps said.

“We’ve worked tirelessly in Washington state to work with our partners and develop a response plan so we can immediately coordinate assistance and provide help following a catastrophic disaster,” said Major General Bret Daugherty, the director of the Washington Military Department and commander of the Washington National Guard, in the recently issued press note.

“Every exercise teaches us something and improves our response. I’m pleased so many partners are participating and are eager to collaborate with us so we can effectively carry out our mission to protect lives and property,” Daugherty said.

Earthquake in Canada

Meanwhile, natural Resources Canada, which records earthquakes in Canada, posted on its Earthquakes Canada section of the website Thursday evening that a 3.0 magnitude earthquake took place around 19 km north of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

On the Yarmouth Vanguard Facebook page, residents said that they heard a loud rumble. Some even said they felt their house shake or vibrate as a result of the earthquake.

“My husband and I were both sitting at our kitchen table in Amirault’s Hill and heard what sounded like a big truck going by and looked around and seen no trucks headed down the road. My husband said, ‘I bet that was an earthquake,” Alanna Fitzsimmons-Bourque told the Vanguard.

[Photo by Rachel La Corte/AP Images]