Earthquakes in California (Los Angeles, Orange, Templeton: place to live, suburbs, area)

[breeze823]

I remember feeling my first earthquake when I was in Jr. High. (and I was born and raised in SD) and I was sitting at the kitchen table with my grandma. The table started shaking and I asked her to quit shaking the table, she laughed and said we were having an earthquake. I was so excited,lol, so I ran across the street to ask my best friend if she had felt it!
When you feel one, you kind of just sit still and wait for it to pass. A few times, my husband and I would almost get up, wondering if "this was going to be the one"! Living in Ca for 35 of my 41 years, I've never been in one that has even knocked something over in my house. But who's to say the big one won't hit. You take your risks just like any other part of the country. Don't let the fear of one hitting keep you from living your life!

[breeze823]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

I lived in Burbank, California for 29 years and never even felt a tremor until I was 16. Well, actually there was a quake centered in Tehachapi in 1952, but I was too young to remember that. My folks were a bit nervous during it as we had only lived in CA for less that two years at the time.

Anyway, I was in the 1971 quake centered in Sylmar. It scared me to death and aftershocks for months later made one think, "Is it going to be another big one?" I've lived in Texas since 1978 and I can tell you that worrying about tornadoes is much worse than I ever worried about earthquakes. I'll take earthquake country any day over tornado alley. Even thunderstorms out here are enough to scare the wits out of a person, but the potential of tornadoes is the great "kicker."

Definately agree here! Since leaving Ca we have lived in both Missouri and now in Georgia and every spring and fall we have tornado warnings/watches. Those are definately more scary to me than an earthquake! An earthquake comes and goes so quickly, and most likely it's just a tremor. It happens, it's over. Tornados, sure you get warnings, but honestly, does a warning help much? It just scares me more!

[LoneStarJerry]

Originally Posted by norcalmom101

Are you aware of the current probabilities for a major earthquake in California? Here is a link California Has More Than 99% Chance Of A Big Earthquake WIthin 30 Years, Report Shows.

That study is worthless in my opinion. A 99% chance of a big earthquake in California within 30 years. Wow, why are these guys scientists? They should be out betting the track, they would be millionaires.

Seriously, to say California will get a big earthquake within 30 years is like saying Florida will get a big hurricane within the next 30 years. Of course these things are probable, we don't need a scientist to tell us this.

My best advice to the OP is don't live in fear, just be prepared and take extra steps to keep you and your family safe wherever you live, there is no escaping natural disasters, there is always a chance of some sort of natural disaster no matter where you live, in some places more than others sure, but make your decision of where to live because it's what's best for you and your family, don't make your decision out of fear.

California is a beautiful state and we are still going strong despite earthquakes.

[EastCoastRefugee]

I always thought the earth quake brouhaha was fed by Californians trying to keep the rest of us from overrunning the place.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by happ

Interesting. I would have though the opposite \ how often do you experience tornado conditions? I'd love to have some thunderstorms right now b/c California is in quite serious fire conditions Too bad it was dry lightning that ignited these fires.

I also experienced the last few "moderate" quakes. Because of where I live & worked at that time, the Northridge earthquake was the most disturbing during the actual shaking.

Yes, I had friends and family that told me about the Northridge quake, very disturbing indeed.

Every Spring (March through June), there is a potential for tornadoes, but they don't always form during a storm but as the weathermen say, "They can form in an instant." Just the thought of it being possible makes me come unglued.

Of course, other times of the year, we can get them too but summer is the rarest time. The December before last, we had an outbreak and although only a few people were killed in one of them, it was weird for that time of the year. I was on the road traveling home from "after Christmas shopping" and twice I had to stop and get inside a building because a tornado was spotted in the little towns through which I was driving. The towns were about 20 miles apart. Luckily, I was listening to the radio.

I had a storm cellar put in about 10 years ago so when I'm home, that gives me some peace of mind. I always said I'd never live in Texas without a cellar, but I did for 20 years. When the killer tornado struck the little town of Jarrell near Austin and literally ripped the pavement off highways, that was it for me. I had a cellar put in within a few months.
Even straight-line winds produce much damage and injuries. Hail storms are not too fun either.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by NorthNJ

When was the last time it happend? Do you feel it when it happens? Does it damage anything?

It depends on how close you are to the earthquake's epicenter. If you lived in Whittier during the Whittier quake, you would have definitely felt it. When the Sylmar quake hit, my family was living way out in the San Gabriel Valley. All our schools were closed due to minor damage.

Every time a major quake occurs here, we Californians tend to madly stock up on earthquake supplies, bolt bookshelves and T.V.'s to walls, strap down our water heaters, etc. Then years go by without a quake, so we forget where we put the hand-held can opener and the first aid kit, stop rotating the supply of water bottles, overlook buying extra charcoal....we forget that we still need to be prepared.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by breeze823

Definately agree here! Since leaving Ca we have lived in both Missouri and now in Georgia and every spring and fall we have tornado warnings/watches. Those are definately more scary to me than an earthquake! An earthquake comes and goes so quickly, and most likely it's just a tremor. It happens, it's over. Tornados, sure you get warnings, but honestly, does a warning help much? It just scares me more!

And since we get so many thunderstorms, one never knows when a stupid tornado will be spawned. With a quake, it happens and you deal with it right then. There is no worry like during a storm like will this be a killer tornado? It's just so very different.

The problem with a warning is that when it's seen, it's basically too late for those under where the funnel is spotted. I usually go down in my cellar during a tornado watch and when the severe storm is just about over me since they can so quickly turn into devastating catastrophies. I also want to be out of the way of any 80 mph straight-line winds, giant hailstones, and that blasted lightning. I hate it all.

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by j760

That study is worthless in my opinion. A 99% chance of a big earthquake in California within 30 years. Wow, why are these guys scientists? They should be out betting the track, they would be millionaires.

Seriously, to say California will get a big earthquake within 30 years is like saying Florida will get a big hurricane within the next 30 years. Of course these things are probable, we don't need a scientist to tell us this.

My best advice to the OP is don't live in fear, just be prepared and take extra steps to keep you and your family safe wherever you live, there is no escaping natural disasters, there is always a chance of some sort of natural disaster no matter where you live, in some places more than others sure, but make your decision of where to live because it's what's best for you and your family, don't make your decision out of fear.

California is a beautiful state and we are still going strong despite earthquakes.

Missouri and surrounding states are in much greater danger of having a catostrophic quake due to the New Madrid Fault. That area had the largest earthquake ever recorded albeit many years ago.

The highest earthquake risk in the United States outside the West Coast is along this fault. Damaging tremors are not as frequent as in California but when they occur, the destruction covers over more than 20 times the area because of underlying geology.

Here is a good link about it. I had no idea such a fault even existed until about 18 months ago.

About The New Madrid Fault

[breeze823]

Originally Posted by Canine*Castle

Missouri and surrounding states are in much greater danger of having a catostrophic quake due to the New Madrid Fault. That area had the largest earthquake ever recorded albeit many years ago.

The highest earthquake risk in the United States outside the West Coast is along this fault. Damaging tremors are not as frequent as in California but when they occur, the destruction covers over more than 20 times the area because of underlying geology.

Here is a good link about it. I had no idea such a fault even existed until about 18 months ago.

About The New Madrid Fault

I didn't know about this either till I lived in Missouri and all the locals told us about it! It's amazing how huge it was and how far it was felt.

[Humanoid]

Seriously, to say California will get a big earthquake within 30 years is like saying Florida will get a big hurricane within the next 30 years.

I don't think that is what was said, rather that the San Andreas is likely to slip within 30 years. This will effect large amounts of Southern California and should be at least 7.0.

Personally, I'm too paranoid to live in the more inland areas that are right under the San Andreas fault. The coastal areas are fairly far from the fault and even if there was a 7.0+ quake it would not produce a lot of major damage.

Anyhow, I found the comments about Tornadoes really interesting. Having moved back to California I started to think about earthquakes again and how they compare to other issues. I always thought with tornadoes "At least you get a warning", but it seems thats less true than I thought.