We do not know how to forecast earthquakes. The consequence is there are no warnings of earthquakes. They just happen. Some people say that animals can sense them coming but that is just a minute or two before the occurrence.
For those of you who have not experienced a quake let me tell you there is usually a rumbling noise followed by the shaking. The shaking is either an up and down motion or a side to side motion. It seems it is lasting many minutes but is usually over in one or two.
The Northridge earthquake occurred at 4:30 a.m. on January 17, 1994. Northridge is part of the city of Los Angeles. The quake was located about 30 km northwest of the city center. This earthquake had a 6.9 moment magnitude. The duration was about 10 seconds to 20 seconds. The damage was extensive and parts of the city 100 km from the epicenter were seriously damaged. Not everything was damaged within that zone. My home is about 10 km from the epicenter and was not seriously damaged.
The total number of people killed by earthquakes in the United States since 1950 was 398. Compare that with the number of deaths from tornadoes in that same period. That number, excluding the current outbreak, totals 4,857. The tornado data is from the Daily Beast.
So where do you want to live?
Coast Contact 