By Mary O’KEEFE

I hope you all had a Happy Earth Day on April 22 and did good things to support Mother Nature. 

While growing up in Iowa I saw the evolution of tornado warnings. Back then it seemed we were more of “being one with the Earth.” But if a tornado warning was issued animals would start moving toward each other forming a kind of protective circle; dogs would bark and sniff the air. For me, I’d notice the color of the trees. Leaves seemed to turn a weird yellow color and then it was quiet … all birds seemed to have left. 

Sometimes the skies would turn dark, but not always. My grandma would blow a whistle, which meant we were to run … not walk … home. Once home we would have the radio on in the kitchen and the television on in the living room. I had a small black-and-white TV that my parents would turn on and literally watch the “snowy” screen. If it went bright we were told to get to the basement. It wasn’t exactly scientific but it is what we did during August storm season. 

Throughout the Midwest there are now tornado sirens to warn residents of impending tornados but for the most part NOAA (National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration) has become the place for information when there are tornado warnings issued. NOAA tells residents when to take cover and how to get ready for the storm. It shares tornado sightings and even though some storms seem to come out of nowhere, as the trajectory of the tornado changes the warnings will give people a few minutes of warning. But at least there are warnings.

Those who have ShakeAlert in California most likely got a loud warning just seconds before the earthquake shook that was centered near Julian on April 14. 

I have had ShakeAlert on my phone for some time now but this was the first time it alerted me with more than a second. 

Early earthquake detection is not something that just happened; it was first proposed in 1868 by J.D. Cooper. He proposed the installation of seismic sensors near Hollister, California that would send an electric signal via telegraph to San Francisco once an earthquake was detected. 

The Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system was not practically implemented until the 1960s when the Japanese National Railways authority developed an EEW system to avoid derailments of high speed trains, according to ScienceDirect. 

Our present EEW has been a rollercoaster of science and politics. Proposals were made, everyone got on the research and development train, there was a slight derailment in 2017 when the administration cut funding, then back on track on April 14 when Congress approved getting the system that warned us. (Of course, EEW’s journey was a lot more complicated but this was the basic path.)

Earthquakes cannot be forecast, but they move slower than electricity and that can make a difference. The Earthquake Early Warning system is a network of seismometers and monitoring stations placed along known faults that track ground movement and, when triggered by an earthquake, can send out an alert to affected areas along the west coast. Depending on proximity to the epicenter, it may be a few seconds of warning – enough time to stop a surgery, shut down heavy machinery or gas lines, or even just get to a safe place before the shaking starts – but farther out locations can receive up to a minute’s notice, according to a CVW 2018 article titled “Funding for Earthquake Early Warning System Cut Again.” 

The ShakeAlert System was developed by USGS and other state and federal partners. MyShake, another EEW, is a free application that was developed by UC Berkeley. There is also Android Earthquake Alerts and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs).

EEW is just one of the tools that can help prepare us for the next earthquake; ready.gov has several suggestions:

1. Make an emergency plan. Create a family emergency communications plan that includes an out-of-state contact. Plan where to meet if you get separated. Make a supply kit that includes enough food and water for several days, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher and a whistle. 
2. Protect your home. Consider making improvements to your building to fix structural issues that could cause your building to collapse during an earthquake. Consider obtaining an earthquake insurance policy. A standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover earthquake damage. 

For your safety:

If you are inside when the earthquake hits, stay and don’t run outside. Avoid driveways. 

If you are in a car, pull over and stop. Set your parking brake.

If you are outside, stay there. Move to an open area away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines. Drop and cover until shaking stops to protect yourself from flying debris. 

During an earthquake inside – drop, cover and hold on. Drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy. Cover your head and neck and arms. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall away from windows. Crawl only if you can reach better cover without going through an area with more debris. Stay on your knees or bent over to protect vital organs. 

For information visit ready.gov/earthquakes.

Just an FYI … there is no such thing as earthquake weather.

We are looking at our cooling trend to continue for a few more days. Today through Sunday our highs will be in the high 60s. There may be some winds today. Saturday our marine layer may increase but we could see morning sun. Monday will be a high of about 71, Tuesday in the high 70s and then Wednesday and Thursday next week forecast 80 and 81 degrees.