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Let Dr. Lucy Jones Soothe Your Big Earthquake Fears
The USGS shows how shock waves from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas Fault would likely fan out across southern California, 2008. (Getty)
Ever since last week's earthquake advisory—issued after several hundred micro earthquakes 'swarmed' at Salton Sea and elevated our chances for a major earthquake along the San Andreas—people have been on edge. And since stories from last week are still being circulated, and the advisory news is still trending on Facebook despite the risk level decreasing significantly, some people are extra confused and panicked.
Don't be, says Dr. Lucy Jones, who has been fielding questions and addressing a lot of concerns on Twitter. You should only be exactly the same amount of confused and panicked that you should be on any other day about "the big one" hitting (which it will eventually!). Below, let Jones slightly soothe any fears you have about "the big one" hitting this week.
.@EricaSa52898101 @abarajas1905 it means your chance of having a big earthquake this week is just about the same as it is every other week
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) October 2, 2016
Jones was asked earlier today why outlets are still "circulating the (now-diminishing) alert" from last week. "I don't know why it's still news. I study earthquakes, not news media," she retorted. But since it is still in the news, here are a few things you need to as of now, Sunday, October 2nd. (And we recommend skimming through Jones's tweets this past week—she's a real straight shooter!)
RISK WILL BE GONE ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4TH:
.@w8n4paradise Look at my recent tweets. Risk is slightly above normal but far from high. Risk completely gone by Tuesday
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) October 2, 2016
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OUR RISK LEVEL AT THIS POINT IS ABOUT THE SAME AS EVERY OTHER WEEK:
.@EricaSa52898101 @abarajas1905 it means your chance of having a big earthquake this week is just about the same as it is every other week
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) October 2, 2016
NO, WE DON'T NEED TO EVACUATE SOCAL:
.@Shanadealton You want to evacuate all SoCal for a 1% chance of an EQ? You'd kill more people in traffic accidents than the EQ would.
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) October 1, 2016
DID YOUR LOCAL SEISMOLOGIST LEAVE TOWN? DON'T WORRY THEY PROBABLY JUST HAD TO GO TO A WEDDING OR SOMETHING.
.@ia090177 Worry when the seismologists come to town, not leave it. We wouldn't want to miss it! But the reality is the timing is random.
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) October 2, 2016
SORRY, MILLENNIALS:
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.@Neko_Chan_Bitch Very unlikely big EQ will happen in next few days. Highly likely it will occur sometime in your life. #7StepstoEQSafety
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) October 1, 2016
Even if it happens in your lifetime, your lifetime risk of dying in an earthquake is lower than your lifetime risk of being murdered (1 in 1,000) or your lifetime risk of dying in a traffic accident (1 in 100), Jones pointed out at a recent National Earthquake Conference, according to the L.A. Times. These are all unpredictable ways that a human could die, and they're all pretty much our of your control, so just embrace that the world can turn to complete chaos at any second, be prepared, and forget about it. To help with that, Jones has been pointing her followers to this guide for quick tips prepping your mind and your home in case of an earthquake emergency (tl;dr hide under a table):
#7StepstoEQSafety Deal with you fear of EQs. You can't change chance of EQ but you can reduce the chance of damage. https://t.co/LaZUIehci9
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) October 1, 2016
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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