Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Videos: Watch Los Angeles Get Destroyed Twice By Two Simulated "Big-Ones"
Yah, yah. The big one is coming, it will be bad, you're definitely not prepared, but you absolutely know you should be. Quotes from earthquake experts saying the San Andreas is "locked, loaded, and ready to roll," somehow, aren't persuasive enough for you to put aside a few days worth of food and water in preparation for the inevitable cataclysm that will knock down all the dingbats, and de-commission the sewers for six months.
But maybe, just maybe, the above video will.
Put together by the Southern California Earthquake Center, the above animation demonstrates the shaking produced by a hypothetical (enormous) 8.0 earthquake that ruptures several hundred miles of the San Andreas between Monterey County and South California. If you watch closely, you can see the Los Angeles Basin (and the Valley, and the SGV) are hit particularly hard. This is because L.A. sits upon large deposits of soft soil, as the L.A. Times points out. What made the land great for growing oranges back in the 1930s and 40s also makes it a great echo-chamber for seismic shockwaves. The effect is, essentially, that the land L.A. sits on top of will continue vibrating even after the earthquake's main shockwaves pass.
Support for LAist comes from
This second video portrays the ever-famous "Shakeout Scenario," where Southern California is jolted by a 7.8 earthquake originating somewhere near the Salton Sea. Severe shaking in both of these situations would last more than two minutes, especially in the L.A. basin and surrounding flat areas.
It's no secret Southern California is up for an earthquake sometime soon. The first animation depicts an earthquake scenario that has happened multiple times throughout geological history, usually with a frequency of about once every 150 years. The last time the plates in this area produced an earthquake was in 1857, precisely 159 years ago. 😨
The second video shows an earthquake that is "likely to hit Southern California sometime in the next 30 years," according to the United States Geological Survey. It's important to note that the two videos depict rupturing along the same fault line, just with different origins.
Either of these earthquakes would be devastating for Southern California. The shakeout scenario predicts approximately 1,800 deaths, and approximately $300 billion in damages.
So yeah, you should probably get those earthquake kits ready now, especially since you can probably guess what will happen to grocery stores after the big one hits.
[h/t L.A. Times]
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago. -
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
Best of LAist