Coachella Valley residents received early warnings from the MyShake mobile app during a magnitude-5.2 earthquake near Bakersfield.
Background
The MyShake app was developed by the University of California, Berkeley, starting in 2011, to provide earthquake alerts.
Partnership and Funding
The app is developed in partnership with CalTech and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and is funded by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, allowing it to be free for users.
Functionality
Using a network of sensors, the app detects earthquakes and notifies users before they feel any shaking, thus potentially saving lives.
User Contributions
Users' data contributes to ongoing research, enhancing the understanding of earthquakes and helping improve future alerts.
Advice from Experts
Experts emphasize the importance of seismically safe buildings, highlighting that collapsed structures are responsible for earthquake-related fatalities.
