All Clear: The Earthquake Advisory For Southern California Has Been Lifted

Your folks back east can rest easy now: the advisory that warned of an increased chance of The Big One hitting Southern California has been lifted.After a cluster of small temblors hit the Salton Sea early last week, the United States Geological Survey said that the risk of a magnitude 7 or larger quake on the San Andreas Fault was as high as 1-in-100 (with the risk declining through the week). It has now been a week, and the California Office of Emergency Services has lifted the advisory. "The short-term elevated likelihood of earthquake activity in the area of Southern California has now decreased to background levels for the Southern San Andreas fault," according to the announcement.

Yes, The Big One will hit us at some point, but chances that it'll happen at any given moment are always low. So even with the official advisory last week, there was no particular reason to worry much more than usual. Let Dr. Lucy Jones talk your panic down.

That said, it's never a bad time to make sure you're prepared. We've put together a handy guide to make sure you're ready; it includes a list of what to put in your earthquake kit.