Want an Earthquake Warning? There's an App for That

A new earthquake warning system is in place in the city of Los Angeles.

1 minute read

January 5, 2019, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Los Angeles Earthquake

Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock

The Associated Press reports on the details of a new earthquake warning app available to Los Angeles County residents.

The app, called ShakeAlertLA will send an alert that could arrive before, during, or after an earthquake of at least 5.0 magnitude on the Richter scale.

The ShakeAlertLA app is based on a warning system developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Several cities and agencies around the country already have earthquake warning systems, as do cities in Mexico and Japan, but this is the first time an earthquake warning system is available to the general public in the United States.

For more information on the new app, see also an article by Alissa Walker from August 2018.

Earthquake readiness was a big component of the "Resilient Los Angeles" plan released in March 2018 as a result of funding from the 100 Resilient Cities network, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.

Thursday, January 3, 2019 in Associated Press via The Mercury News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

US and Texas flags flying in front of Texas state capitol dome in Austin, Texas.

Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness

A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.

30 minutes ago - The Texas Tribune

Person in yellow safety suit and white helmet kneels to examine water samples outdoors on a lake shore.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure

If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

1 hour ago - Inside Climate News

Close-up of white panel at top of school bus with "100% electric" black text.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation

California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

April 30 - California Air Resources Board