For those living in Southern California, understanding the proper Earthquake protocol isn’t optional; it’s essential for survival. The Core Protocol is Drop, Cover, and Hold On. If indoors, immediately drop to the ground and take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture, such as a wooden desk or table, and avoid glass and non-secured furniture. Hold on to the leg of the furniture to keep it from moving, and cover the back of your head with your hand. If outdoors, move to an open area, away from buildings and power lines. This preparation is critical because Southern California is crisscrossed by hundreds of fault lines, many of which are active and capable of producing significant quakes.
The most notorious example is the San Andreas Fault, which spans nearly 800 miles from the San Francisco Bay Area down to the Mexican border. The southern section of the San Andreas has not experienced a significant rupture in over 300 years, leading seismologists to classify it as “long overdue” for a major seismic event. When an earthquake ruptures, the earth shifts; it moves on the fault line and tears things apart. The shifting of the surface is what the San Andreas fault is overdue for, and that requires a magnitude 6.5 earthquake. For reference, a “big” earthquake is a 5.0 magnitude earthquake, which is when you might start to feel shaking, but nothing too much.
But why talk about the San Andreas fault? It’s almost 100 miles away! Well, it could set off a chain reaction. If a major earthquake were to happen on the San Andreas fault, it would affect many surrounding faults because of the added stress on those faults. A major San Andreas earthquake would be at least a 6.5 and, at its worst, an 8.3 magnitude earthquake. A major Whittier fault earthquake magnitude would be at least a 6.0 and could potentially reach a 7.0, and maybe a little higher. For reference, the highest magnitude earthquake in the Whittier area since 2000 was a 5.1 magnitude earthquake…