Earthquake Early Warning App

The City of Los Angeles now has the nation’s first publicly available earthquake early warning mobile application: ShakeAlertLA.

ShakeAlert LA links the U.S. Geological Survey’s seismic sensor network with mobile app technology to detect earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 or greater and quickly alert users in the County of LA to prepare for shaking before it starts.

Just a few seconds of advance warning gives residents time to find drop, cover, and hold on, pull over to the side of the road, or get out of an elevator. Doctors can halt surgery, transit agencies can slow or stop trains to prevent dangerous derailments, and schools can get students to safe shelter.

Angelenos can also use ShakeAlertLA to make emergency preparedness plans and find help an shelter after an earthquake.

Since its release in December 2018, ShakeAlertLA has been downloaded over 360,000 times and has received extensive press coverage from outlets such as CNN, LA Times, Newsweek, Wired, CBS News, and others.

ShakeAlertLA is the product of a partnership between the City, USGS, Information Technology Agency, and AT&T. The Mayor’s Fund provided the funds necessary to bridge the gap in funding to allow for the development and testing of the app. ShakeAlertLA can be downloaded for Apple and Android devices and is available in English and Spanish, with more language translations to come.

Learn more and download the ShakeAlertLA app here.

Key Impact

Created ShakeAlertLA downloadable app

Issue Area

Disaster Relief & Recovery

Partners

Mayor’s Office of Public Safety
LA Department of Emergency Management

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