Simulator Helps Californians Prepare for Devastating Earthquake

Randy Baxter holds on tight as a simulator shows him the power of a magnitude 7 earthquake.

"It was much stronger than I thought," the 62-year-old professor told AFP as he stepped out of the machine on the University of California, Fullerton campus.

Once a year, the specially designed trailer sets off on a week-long tour to teach Californians what to do when the ground starts shaking in one of the world's most seismically active zones.

The state knows it could be hit at any moment by “The Big One,” a powerful earthquake that could kill about 1,800 people, injure another 53,000 and cause up to $200 billion ($1.09 trillion) in damage.

There are more than 500 active faults in California, which together cause thousands of earthquakes each year.

Many of them are small, barely noticed by the 40 million residents.

But others can be large enough to cause damage, and the California Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) wants people to know what to do.

“When you feel that tremor, we want everyone to drop to the ground, cover up, and hold on,” said Jon Gudel of CAL OES.

“It’s exactly what it sounds like: you should try to find something solid, preferably a table, hide under it, cover your head and neck, and then hold on under that table until the shaking stops.”

– Disaster guaranteed –

The walls of the earthquake simulator are covered with photos showing the aftermath of some of California's worst geological disasters.

These include the great San Francisco earthquake, which destroyed 80 percent of the city in 1906, and the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which killed 72 people around Los Angeles and caused massive highway destruction.

Andrea Okoh, who lives on the San Andreas fault, a scar that stretches 1,300 kilometers across the state, admits to being “extremely worried.”

The 36-year-old human resources director has been anchoring her furniture to the wall since an earthquake woke her in the middle of the night in January.

"We've had earthquakes since we were kids, but lately they've been more intense and closer together," he said. This is "scary."

Geologist Ashleigh Kuiroz said a recent series of apparent earthquakes does not indicate the Big One is imminent.

But in a way, they help.

“They’re a great reminder that you might want to consider having an earthquake kit ready at home,” he said.

“Make sure you have food for your pets, any medications you need, first aid supplies, and things like that.”

Organizers also recommend that residents and tourists install the “MyShake” app, which can provide vital seconds of warning of a tremor.

Despite decades of study and sensors deployed globally, seismologists say it is impossible to predict when a destructive earthquake will occur.

But one thing they say with absolute certainty is that it will definitely happen.

"It's not a matter of 'if,' but of 'when,'" Gudel said. "That's why it's so important to be prepared."

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