DOESN'T IT SEEM LIKE THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF EARTHQUAKES LATELY?
THAT'S CAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN, SO DOES THIS MEAN THIS BIG ONE'S COMING?
AND WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
HEY GUYS THIS IS ANNIE FOR DNEWS.
A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE STRUCK OFF THE COAST OF CHILE THIS WEEK, TRIGGERING 7 FT TSUNAMIS
AND MASS EVACUATIONS ALONG THE COUNTRY'S COASTAL AREAS.
THE 8.2 QUAKE NEAR CHILE COMES ON THE HEELS OF SEVERAL SMALLER QUAKES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
RECENTLY...BROUGHT TO LIFE BY THIS ONE AMAZING VIRAL VIDEO OF TWO NEWS ANCHORS FROM KTLA
BASICALLY NAILING EARTHQUAKE SAFETY PROTOCOL...
FORTUNATELY, NO MAJOR DAMAGE IN EITHER CALIFORNIA OR CHILE IS REPORTED AT THIS POINT...BUT IT'S
RAISED ALARM AMONG SOME FOLKS THAT A "BIG ONE" IS COMING....A "BIG ONE" LIKE THE LA
NORTHRIDGE QUAKE IN 1994, WHICH KILLED DOZENS AND CAUSED 42 BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGE...OR
LOMA PRIETA IN SAN FRANCISCO IN 1989, WHICH KILLED 63 AND BADLY EFFED UP INFRASTRUCTURE
IN THE BAY AREA.
OF COURSE, THERE HAVE BEEN FAR WORSE QUAKES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD - LIKE THE 2010
QUAKE THAT DEVASTATED HAITI.
CAN WE PREDICT WHEN MAJOR QUAKES WILL HAPPEN?
UNFORTUNATELY AT THIS POINT, ONLY VERY VERY GENERALLY.
QUAKES ARE CAUSED BY SHIFTING TECTONIC PLATES, AND THE AREAS MOST AT RISK ARE PLACES THAT
SIT ALONG THESE FAULT LINES.
BUT THAT RISK CAN BE AGGRAVATED BY MAN-MADE FACTORS THAT CAN EXERT EXTRA PRESSURE ON NATURALLY
OCCURRING SEISMIC ACTIVITY.
THE BEST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS THE Sichuan PROVINCE OF CHINA, WHICH HAD A MAJOR QUAKE
IN 2008 THAT'S BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED IN PART BY A DAM IN THE AREA.
BECAUSE OF THE MANY POTENTIAL TRIGGERS - WHICH COULD INCLUDE ANYTHING FROM RESERVOIRS, MINING
OR FRACKING - SCIENTISTS CAN IDENTIFY PARTS OF THE WORLD THAT ARE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE
A QUAKE, BUT CAN'T SAY WHEN THEY WILL HAPPEN WITH ANY USEFUL LEVEL OF ACCURACY.
IN FACT, ANIMALS MIGHT BE MUCH BETTER AT SENSING QUAKES THAN HUMANS.
JUST BEFORE A 2009 QUAKE IN ITALY FOR EXAMPLE, 96% OF MALE TOADS DITCHED THEIR BREEDING SITE
IN THE AREA JUST DAYS BEFORE THE QUAKE.
BUT CAN WE PREPARE FOR AN EARTHQUAKE...SURE.
IN PLACES LIKE CALIFORNIA OR CHILE THAT BASICALLY SIT ON ACTIVE FAULTS, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE
GOTTEN BETTER AT PREPPING INFRASTRUCTURE - AND PEOPLE - FOR MAJOR JOLTS.
IN THE BAY AREA FOR EXAMPLE, ENGINEERS SPENT YEARS RETROFITTING THE BAY BRIDGE TO OAKLAND
WITH ADDITIONAL DIAGONALS AND OTHER FEATURES THAT CAN HELP CUSHION AGAINST THE SIDE TO
SIDE ROCKING THAT CAN CAUSE FAILURE.
BUT NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT NOT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A QUAKE.
FEEL FREE TO MILDLY FREAK OUT - LIKE OUR NEWS ANCHOR FRIENDS - BUT PLEASE RESIST THE URGE
TO RUN SCREAMING INTO THE STREET DURING AN EARTHQUAKE, AS OUR INTERN KENNY KINDLY DEMONSTRATES
FOR US HERE.
YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO GET HIT WITH FALLING OBJECTS THAT CAN HARM YOU THAT WAY.
YOUR BEST BET IS TO DUCK AND COVER UNDER A DESK OR TABLE, OR STAND IN A DOORWAY.
IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE, GET OUT IN THE OPEN AWAY FROM POWER LINES OR OTHER THINGS THAT COULD
FALL ON YOU.
AND AS WITH ANY POTENTIAL EMERGENCY, IT CAN'T HURT TO HAVE SOME BASIC SUPPLIES AROUND YOUR
HOME IN THE EVENT OF POWER FAILURE.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, WE'LL LEAVE SOME OTHER RESOURCES IN THE LINKS BELOW.
HAVE YOU LIVED THROUGH AN EARTHQUAKE OR OTHER DISASTER?
IF SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH THE SHOW ON TWITTER AT DNEWS OR ON FACEBOOK AT DISCOVERY NEWS.
YOU CAN ALSO FIND ME PERSONALLY AT ANNIEGAUS ON TWITTER AND AT MY OTHER SHOW, WHATS THE
BIG DEAL.
THANKS FOR WATCHING AND SEE YOU NEXT TIME.