
7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Southern California - t23
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-major-earthquake-southern-california20190705-story.html
======
jedberg
> This quake was larger than the destructive 1994 Northridge quake, which
> measured 6.6 magnitude.

This isn't entirely accurate. While it's "score" was higher, the magnitude
doesn't account for things like the type of fault, the type of movement, the
depth, the soil, the duration of movement, etc.

Northridge was far more severe than this one, with an "apparent magnitude"
greater than 9.

Don't get me wrong, this one sucks for all the people affected, no doubt, but
as someone who lived through Northridge very close to the epicenter, it's sort
of personal to me.

~~~
seaish
It's also larger than the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that destroyed a lot of
San Francisco, which was 6.9.

A lot of this also has to do with how close to populated areas the earthquake
is, and if the same quake happened today, the damage would be much less due to
better construction.

~~~
pvg
_destroyed a lot of San Francisco_

That's overstating things by quite a bit. There was severe damage and
fatalities but 'destroyed a lot of San Francisco' was 1906, an estimated 7.9
followed by fires.

~~~
WalterBright
The fires did by far the majority of the damage.

------
cortesoft
Was giving my daughter a bath when it started. At first I thought I was
fainting, because it was a really slow rolling motion like I was on a boat.
Then noticed the shower door moving.

My daughter kept saying she wanted to go see the earthquake. I think she
thought it was outside.

~~~
pizza
Same about the fainting. I was standing in line at Target on the 4th, and I
could have sworn I was gonna pass out there and then until the lady behind me
asked if anyone else had felt that. Then I noticed the aisle signs swinging!

~~~
kodz4
I always look for liquid surfaces, water in a glass etc. They will be busy
oscillating much before the body makes sense of whats going on...

~~~
newsbinator
Ah yes, the Jurassic Park method of shake detection.

> “The mirror shaking was easy … put a little vibrating motor in and shook
> it.” Lantieri said. “But the water was another story. It was a very
> difficult thing to do. You couldn’t do it. ”

> “In order to replicate that for the eventual shot, they “fed a guitar string
> through the car, down to the ground, and then I had a guy lay under the car
> and pluck the guitar string,”

[https://www.businessinsider.com.au/jurassic-park-water-
cup-2...](https://www.businessinsider.com.au/jurassic-park-water-
cup-2015-6?r=US&IR=T)

~~~
aldoushuxley001
Wow, great anecdote hah I never would have thought that’s how they did it

------
Deimorz
LA Times published an article earlier today about how yesterday's quake may
have increased the strain and could lead to a larger one like this:
[https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-did-
california-...](https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-did-california-
earthquake-relieve-earthquake-stress-20190705-story.html)

More info in this article (linked to from the one above):
[http://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/southern-
california-m...](http://temblor.net/earthquake-insights/southern-
california-m-6-4-earthquake-stressed-by-two-large-historic-ruptures-8976/)

------
ajkjk
When you go to that area and stand on one of the mountains -- say, on the west
ridge of Death Valley -- you can clearly see how the region is a bunch of
vertical columns of continental crust that have toppled over, like dominoes.
If I call correctly, as the North American plate is pushed up, it gets pulled
apart (because the Earth is spherical?) and the cracked pieces fall onto each
other. The valleys in between fill with sediment over time, but get deeper
also as the mountains roll over further.

Point is, I wonder if this was the sound of Badwater Basin (lowest point in
North America) getting a little bit lower...

~~~
Stratoscope
This is a fascinating insight; I would love to see these columns of
continental crust. Any ideas of a particular location to view them?

In the meantime, I wonder if there are any good photos of them? I wouldn't
know what to search for.

~~~
ajkjk
I was describing the top of Wildrose peak there -- one of the coolest views
I've seen in my life. I want to go back and try Telescope peak, which is right
next to it and a bit higher and more strenuous, sometime.

These hikes aren't nearly as hot as the valley, and probably manageable even
in the summer. Much of Death Valley's heat comes from the air being more
compressed the lower you go, so if you're 6000 ft up it's not that bad at all.
Although, be careful.

Here's some pictures I found online:
[https://www.americansouthwest.net/california/death_valley/wi...](https://www.americansouthwest.net/california/death_valley/wildrosepeak_l.html)
. Note that the rock below you has clearly toppled over to almost a 45 degree
angle. All the mountains in the distance are like that also.

A few hours later I was on a different ridge and a bunch of fighter jets flew
through a canyon _below_ me. Death Valley is awesome. (although that may have
been right outside of it?)

------
fumar
Recent LA transplant here. Fight or flight did not kick in. Instead, I was
mostly confused and kinda paced about the flat while the earth shook. I always
imagine myself acting quick on my feet like a movie hero. Two learnings; I
know what an earthquake feels like and I need to increase my disaster
preparedness.

~~~
jedberg
Any time you enter a room, look for a strong table. It'll become habit after a
couple quakes. :)

~~~
carey
After something bigger, you'll be one the lookout for unreinforced masonry,
and crossing the street to avoid it. For example: [http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-
press/news/christchurch-earthquak...](http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-
press/news/christchurch-earthquake-2011/5588007/Unreinforced-masonry-
killed-40)

~~~
tekacs
Here some good material on unreinforced masonry:

[https://www.fema.gov/media-library-
data/20130726-1728-25045-...](https://www.fema.gov/media-library-
data/20130726-1728-25045-2959/femap774.pdf)

------
reilly3000
Here to plug the American Red Cross emergency apps. They have high quality,
offline-available info on preparation and survival of various natural
disasters. I believe they also push out real time info on them about relief
efforts, shelters, etc. Here is the Earthquake app:
[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earthquake-american-red-
cross/...](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earthquake-american-red-
cross/id557946227)

~~~
redonkulus
Just downloaded it. Great app. Lots of useful info. Thanks!

------
Rebelgecko
Maybe the timing was coincidental, but it looked like reddit was down for a
few minutes after the earthquake (I checked some other sites to make sure it
wasn't just my router being silly after power came back). Reminded me a bit of
how almost every news website (barring Slashdot) went down on 9/11\. I wonder
how many sites could handle the load if a serious disaster happened. Makes me
reconsider where I'll be able to get info when something bad happens

~~~
oil25
HAM Radio or SDR! It's worth picking up something as inexpensive as a Baofeng
or RTL2832U transceiver, even just to listen on common frequencies.

~~~
Rebelgecko
I have one of those cheap RTL-SDR dongles that I use for listening to ADS-B
messages. Other than listening to FM radio, do you know if any other good uses
in a disaster situation?

~~~
jsjohnst
Find out what frequencies are used in your area for HAMs participating in
disaster response.

~~~
Stratoscope
Even better, get your ham license before you need it, and practice getting on
the air with emergency nets and just to chat with fellow hams.

Any HN regular should be able to study for a few hours and pass the Technician
test. This gives you access to all the VHF and UHF frequencies that are often
used in emergency communications. A bit more study and you can get the General
license, which lets you use more HF (potentially longer range) frequencies.

Here is a good place to start:

[https://hamstudy.org/](https://hamstudy.org/)

Many hams start with a cheap Baofeng handheld. These sell in the $25-60 range.
Here's one I have and recommend - it's at the high end of that range but has
several improvements over the cheaper ones including a better antenna:

[https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01J2W4JUI/](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01J2W4JUI/)

Ham radio has been popping up on HN a lot lately. Besides emergency
communications, there are a lot of interesting things you can do once you get
your license. Feel free to holler with any questions!

~~~
jsjohnst
> Any HN regular should be able to study for a few hours and pass the
> Technician test.

This isn’t hyperbole. I got my Technician license after literally only
studying for an hour (admittedly I had some prior experience, but most of what
the test is just memorizing various things you should know).

------
epage
I grew up in Ridgecrest during the time it became known for earthquakes (e.g.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k8f2gJjXkQ&feature=share](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k8f2gJjXkQ&feature=share)
). That commercial isn't far off in that it got to the point that we no longer
ran for cover. I remember watching TV and feeling the ground roll underneath
me and not being phased.

Random notes:

\- The epicenters tends to be relatively close (<20 miles) and relatively
shallow (<10 miles).

\- I think the 7.1 brings this into the territory of stronger than we had
growing up.

\- I've seen people mention that it didn't impact a densely populated area.
Normally I feel the same relief about that except this time I know the people
which brings a different perspective

\- My biggest concern is for those who were evacuated from the hospital in the
100 degree weather. A childhood friend's dad is bedridden, trying to recover,
and is now out in the heat.

\- I've seen reports of roads to towns like Trona being closed off. Unsure if
that is all routes and how long until they re-open but that is probably my
next biggest concern.

------
nwallin
Epicenter is very far inland, approximately halfway between Bakersfield and
Las Vegas. (Not Angeles) Densely populated areas are minimally affected.

------
longemen3000
I was in the 8.8 earthquake in chile (2010), near the epicenter. for the
following days, a lot of replicas over 7.0 occurred. if your construction
follows the regulations, it will be fine (some minor repairs), but any
structural damage can and will be the death sentence for that structure. In
those times, we were worried about the lack of water,food and electricity.a
big freezer stuffed with food can last a week without electricity, because of
the insulation and the amount of water inside

~~~
longemen3000
I live in a two-floor building though, and the oscillations are amplified by
tall structures, so be safe

~~~
checker659
I think that depends on the dominant frequency of the earthquake.

------
alex_young
What happened to proof reading? I do not understand how the second paragraph
of a major article in the LA times could have an error like this:

"Scientists said it the fault causing the quakes appears to be growing."

~~~
jacquesm
In some situations it can be more important to get the news out than to have
it perfect. Whether this is one of those situations I don't want to make the
call on since I'm two continents and one ocean away from it but I can imagine
that there is some pressure with an event like this.

------
ramenmeal
We were rocking pretty good in Orange County. Can't imagine being at the
epicenter. It lasted long enough to where we start questioning if we needed to
do anything.

------
technological
Was browsing hackernews and suddenly felt bed shaking , thought it was due to
tiredness (been to beach).

First time felt earthquake .. Surreal experience

~~~
kart23
The sound is the worst part for me. Nothing else even comes close to
replicating it. All the little things rattling, and the deep rumbles of your
whole house moving around.

~~~
frizkie
Totally. The fact that the sound just comes from everywhere makes you realize
how puny you are. The massive rock you've lived on forever, and get by day to
day without thinking about in detail, is all of a sudden very, very real.

~~~
gdubs
Yea, the first time I felt a decent sized quake I realized, oh, it’s not a
localized shaking — the whole damn earth is moving.

------
oska
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Ridgecrest_earthquakes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Ridgecrest_earthquakes)

~~~
saagarjha
This article sure went up quick!

~~~
raldi
"This article documents a current earthquake. Information regarding this event
may change rapidly and may be unreliable."

------
brianzelip
I'm flying to LA next week for the first time, and am a little worried after
the quakes. I appreciate much of the comments on preparedness and observing
what's happening around you, but am looking for some more details, like:

\- how to spot "unreinforced masonry" in order to avoid it?

\- why is a strong table to be looked for inside, to get underneath it?

\- I would imagine basements are bad to be in, is that so?

\- I would imagine upstairs is a bad place to be too, right?

\- does the ground really split underneath your feet?

~~~
epage
Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much. These earthquakes are far enough away
that LA shouldn't be feeling too much and they should calm down soon. The
likelihood of other earthquakes cropping up seems relatively low.

------
beders
Who else in the bay area will finally get its earthquake-readiness kit
tomorrow morning? :)

~~~
TomVDB
I’ve been thinking of getting us one of those for the past 15 years!

Maybe tomorrow will be the day...

------
Arnie0426
Good thing burning man is so soon, half of silicon valley is probably already
well stocked and prepared.

------
pizza
Would be cool if Siri had a better answer to "what do I do during an
earthquake?"

~~~
jedberg
Get under a strong table, away from glass.

Do NOT get in a doorway, unless it is one without a door. The door is more
dangerous than any other damage.

Do NOT run outside, unless it's faster than getting under a table. And if you
do go outside, get away from power lines.

~~~
org3432
* don't run during an earthquake, you'll break your leg.

* bathrooms with plumbing in the walls are supposed to be a little stronger.

* blankets can help protect you from breaking windows.

* if you are outside, watch out for trees, powerlines, things falling off buildings (tile roofs, pots), esp. brick buildings

~~~
fossuser
Break your leg? I find that one hard to believe.

~~~
jedberg
The ground literally rolls up and down like a wave. You can see it move if you
stand still in an open field.

It’s definitely not something you want to run on.

------
maddyboo
As someone living on the second floor of a rather old (built in 1940s)
apartment building in Northern California, I’d love to hear any suggestions
for ensuring it’s safe in the event of an earthquake like this.

------
4gotmypw
Why is there no mention of China Lake here? If the quake was NE of Ridgecrest,
does that put it on the rather extensive China Lake weapons facility?

~~~
nostrademons
Presumably the federal government is taking care of China Lake and doesn't
want anyone to know about it. I don't see why they would invite the press onto
a classified weapons research facility just to catalog earthquake damage. When
you're a wealthy landowner housing thousands of explosive munitions in an
active fault zone, presumably you build it to withstand earthquakes.

But yes, AFAICT from the maps, the epicenter was basically right under China
Lake.

~~~
dogsgobork
>When you're a wealthy landowner housing thousands of explosive munitions in
an active fault zone, presumably you build it to withstand earthquakes.

The Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in Ridgecrest was evacuated and
deemed not "mission capable" [https://ktla.com/2019/07/06/naval-air-weapons-
station-china-...](https://ktla.com/2019/07/06/naval-air-weapons-station-
china-lake-in-ridgecrest-evacuated-deemed-not-mission-capable-after-quake/)

------
want2know
I'm not saying this is related but I suddenly thought about the internet
problems lately.

Animals sometimes can feel earthquakes coming. Little is known about this but
it is suggested that it has to do with electromagnetic fields.

We experience problems on earth when there were bug sun flames.

Could a big earthquake influence our communications?

------
kylegordon
The earthquake even cause the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to lose its signal
lock.

[https://twitter.com/nascom1/status/1146904935843295233](https://twitter.com/nascom1/status/1146904935843295233)

------
mmastrac
This shook my hotel in Vegas. We evacuated but it was pretty minor. I'm glad
to be leaving tomorrow!

The windows and doors were creaking and making loud cracking noises. Both
times it felt like an unbalanced washing machine on a different floor.

------
jacobkg
I’m sure it must have been rough for people near the epicenter and I hope
everyone is okay.

Here in Los Angeles we felt it for sure but a quick survey of friends around
town indicates that there wasn’t much damage.

~~~
epage
Thankfully everyone is reporting in safe from what I've seen on facebook (I
grew up in the area). As mentioned elsewhere, my biggest concern is those
evacuated from the hospital into 100 degree weather.

------
ilaksh
We had some very minor shaking in Tijuana.

------
NZ_Matt
Thankfully the epicenter appears to not be in a densely populated area.
Hopefully those in Ridgecrest are all ok.

~~~
Rebelgecko
I feel bad for all the stores that just finished putting everything back up on
shelves. There were libraries looking for volunteers to help pick up fallen
books.

That said, it does look like there was some damage from this one. The news is
showing videos of burning buildings

------
bamboozled
Bit off topic, but it's amazing when you're in another time zone how hard it
is in 2019 to actually workout when an event occurred, there are dates
everywhere attached to this event, some with the timezone listed, some
without. When you do have the time zone, conversion isn't trivial.

I hope someday at least the Internet works on UTC :)

~~~
raldi
[https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/](https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/)

------
ryandrake
Felt it here in Vegas. I can’t believe that was all the way in Southern
California!

~~~
labster
It wasn't really. It's at the south end of the Owens Valley, about as close to
Vegas as LA.

------
akiselev
Downgraded to a 6.9

~~~
SubiculumCode
Must still be working on estimate. Back to 7.1

~~~
avree
And back to 6.9!

~~~
milleramp
The email from USGS said 4.8, I was surprised it was so far off. They still
have not sent a revision. Usually they are much better about this.

~~~
cossatot
That may have been for another, smaller quake (one of the larger aftershocks
of yesterday's 6.4 event). It looks like there was a 4.6 aftershock which may
have triggered the email (the email system is automated).

[https://earthquake.usgs.gov/](https://earthquake.usgs.gov/)

~~~
SubiculumCode
I prefer the caltech site for fast no-nonsense page loads: Map:
[http://scedc.caltech.edu/recent/](http://scedc.caltech.edu/recent/) List:
[http://scedc.caltech.edu/recent/Quakes/quakes0.html](http://scedc.caltech.edu/recent/Quakes/quakes0.html)

back to 7.1

~~~
brighter2morrow
They must have just pushed a security patch.

------
siphon22
Very worried. Good time to start reprioritizing things in my life.

~~~
TheChaplain
Some googling tells me Florida and North Dakota are the safest states in the
US.

Outside US it's Antarctica, but it sounds rather inconvenient..

~~~
asveikau
Florida has hurricanes though.

Not to mention the risk of "Florida man".

~~~
pizza
There's a reason for all those Florida man stories! Might change your mind
about them: [https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/how-floridas-proud-
open-g...](https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/how-floridas-proud-open-
government-laws-lead-to-the-shame-of-florida-man-news-stories-7608595)

------
MysticFear
A startup @yourjumpstart for earthquake insurance pays out even if you have no
damage, assuming you are in the epicenter of a large enough earthquake.

~~~
Rebelgecko
Considering the trouble that more established insurance companies have with
large natural disasters, I would be a bit wary of a startup for something
catatostrophic like earthquakes

~~~
geomark
I always considered earthquake insurance a waste of money. The premiums are
high and deductibles are quite high so a quake would have to be very strong to
do enough damage that cost of repair was more than the deductible. And if that
was the case then there would be widespread damage and a huge amount in
claims. Seems unlikely even a big insurance company could remain solvent and
pay out.

~~~
goerz
Insurance companies are insured against big payouts (reinsurance). As long as
it’s not the literal apocalypse, they will pay.

~~~
DuskStar
LA getting "the big one" would be a hell of a local apocalypse, at least.

~~~
smileysteve
In "A Tale of 5 Crashes" the gold requirements from fire insurance in San
Francisco in 1906 caused the increasing of rates in England

