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In Depth: The Ridgecrest Quakes: What did we learn

By , Hal Eisner and FOX 11
Published  July 14, 2019 2:49pm PDT
In Depth
FOX 11 Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (FOX 11) - SEGMENT A: Why ShakeAlertLA did not Issue an Alert

Many residents of Los Angeles felt the two huge quakes centered near Ridgecrest on July 4th and 5th, but the ShakeAlertLA app remained silent. The app worked properly, because the shaking in LA was not intense enough to trip the alarm. But now, because so many people complained about not receiving alerts, the city of LA and the USGS (which runs the ShakeAlert system) have decided to lower the "shake" threshold for an alert.

We talk to Bob DeGroot of the USGS, who is also the national coordinator for ShakeAlert. He tells us about the new parameters, and what they will mean for anyone who has ShakeAlertLA on their smartphones.

SEGMENT B: Quake Insurance

Now that the cleanup and recovery have begun in Ridgecrest, Trona and other areas heavily impacted by the recent quakes, we talk to Glenn Pomeroy, CEO of the California Earthquake Authority, about filing claims in the quake's aftermath. The CEA provides quake insurance in California, but only about 10% of residents have it (for homeowners and also for renters). Pomeroy says more people should consider CEA insurance before the next major quake hits.

SEGMENT C: Scientist has Personal Quake Experience

Christine Goulet is a scientist who studies the effects of earthquakes, and she found out in a very personal way what experiencing a 7.1 quake is like. Goulet is the Executive Director of Applied Science at USC's Southern California Earthquake Center. She was with a team of scientists in Trona to study the aftermath of the July 4th 6.4 quake, when the 7.1 hit the next day. Goulet shows us video of cars rocking back and forth in her motel parking lot, as people run out of their rooms in fear. She and her team spent their time in Trona collecting data and taking photos of buildings after the 6.4 - and then again after the 7.1 - to compare the damage. She shares those photos with us in today's In Depth.

SEGMENT D: Final Thought

A look at Fox 11 Special "Surviving the Earthquake: Prepare, Survive, Recover" which is available online at FoxLA.com - plus our Earthquake podcasts, and a final word from our Panel.