Politics & Government

Earthquake: Southland Could Rumble for Days

Two earthquakes and up to 30 aftershocks have been recorded since last night's tremblor.

Since last night’s , the southland has continued to shake in a series of minor aftershocks and earthquakes. But the rumbling could last for days, possibly weeks, says the U.S. Geological Survey.

registered on the Richter scale this morning, followed by a 3.4 aftershock nearly 20 minutes later. Up to 30 aftershocks were recorded since last night’s quake.

“We’re not sure at this point if we’re just going to stay with these two earthquakes or if we will get another earthquake. We may get another magnitude of 4, but we’ll have to wait and see if the events continue,” said Elizabeth Cochran, seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

Find out what's happening in Glendorawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We may continue to experience more shaking for the next few days or weeks,” said Cochran.

Visit the USGS website for earthquake/aftershock updates.

Find out what's happening in Glendorawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But Cochran suggested there is a small possibility the earthquakes could be followed by a larger one.

“Of all the earthquakes occurring worldwide, about 2 percent of the time we see a larger one afterwards,” said Cochran. “I think these events just remind us that we live in earthquake country. We should be prepared at all times.”

Cochran said the latest series of earthquakes and aftershocks were located near the Whittier fault, but more recent tremblors have been following a different path.

“We’re not sure if the earthquakes are on the fault or a structure nearby,” said Cochran.  “But we will continue to monitor the activity.”

Are you prepared for a major earthquake?

Earthquakes pose the greatest natural disaster risk to Glendora considering a network of fault lines run along the foothills. The earthquakes that would most affect Glendora would be those originating from the San Andreas, Sierra Madre and Whittier faults zones, according to the city’s

Geological evidence suggests the San Andreas fault zone has a 50 percent chance of producing a 7.5 to 8.5-magnitude earthquake within the next 30 years.

“A significant earthquake originating along any of these or other regional faults could cause damage to buildings and infrastructure as well as injuries and fatalities in Glendora,” according to city documents.

So what can you do to prepare for “The Big One?”

According to the USGS, you should:

  • Know your level of risk. The USGS has seismic hazard maps on its website showing the relative amount of shaking you can expect in your area.
  • Make sure you look at the safety of your home’s structure. Make sure the home is properly bolted to its foundation. If you are not sure, consult a structural engineer to help you determine your home’s safety.
  • Remove large objects that may fall and cause injuries or major damages.
  • Prepare an earthquake/survival kit that will last you for at least three days.
  • Develop a plan for family members of where to meet and how to be contacted in case you are separated, and if transportation, electricity and phone lines are down.

For more information on recent earthquakes or earthquakes preparedness, visit earthquake.USGS.gov/ or www.data.scec.org .


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