Here’s Video Proof That the US Needs an Earthquake Early Warning System

At a big seismic summit yesterday at the White House , the Union political science reaffirmed its commitment to create an former admonition system of rules for earthquakes . A great new video shows exactly how this might work — and illustrates how it couldhelp salve lives .

TheShakeAlert systemdeveloped by UC Berkeley , Caltech , the University of Washington , and the USGS is already up and running — I got to see a image at Caltech in 2014 , and there have beenmultiple real - world testswhichprove it works . The propose organisation would set up first along the Pacific Coast , which is most at - risk , then could be implemented in other role of the state .

In the picture , you’re able to see exactly how ShakeAlert would do work in one of the most ordinarily image scenarios — at a schoolhouse . The instructor is alerted to a nearby quake via text substance , much like pinch messages you get on your speech sound now . Clicking through to the app , a countdown shows her how much prison term she has before the didder starts , and also how stiff of an earthquake to expect . In the scenario shown in the video , a classroom full of kids have enough time to get under their desk , which could prevent serious accidental injury from broken glass or other fall objects .

Could a few seconds really make that much of a difference ? scientist say yes . UC Berkeley ’s Richard Allen said yesterday that the organisation could boil down injuries from an earthquake by at least 50 percent . One of the crowing challenges for emergency respondent is getting aesculapian attention to multitude who need it in those few critical time of day after a big earthquake : Imagine 50 pct fewer hoi polloi seek to motor to hospitals or flooding already overload phone service asking for help .

Although the White House renew its pledge yesterday to get the system up and running , theproject still ask more money . President Obama allocate $ 8.2 million for the ShakeAlert system of rules in this year ’s budget , but the estimated total price is about $ 23.1 million , with $ 16.1 million more needed each class to uphold it . The big cost is for the sensing element which demand to be installed throughout the realm for the system to be effective . However , USGS has reported recently thatGPS - enable smartphones might be tender enoughwhen it come to monitoring motion that this information could avail build up out the sensor system , consider it or not .

Earthquake early warning systems , or EEWs , are common in many other seismically active countries , likeJapanand Mexico . The fact that the US does n’t have one already could be devastating when the Big One ( or theBiggest One ) arrives .

Starship Test 9