# Increasing earthquake activity



## Hooked on Fenix (Apr 19, 2014)

These are just the big quakes in the past week alone:
4/19/14 Papua New Guinea- 7.5 magnitude
4/19/14 Papua New Guinea- 6.6
4/18/14 Mexico- 7.2
4/18/14 Bouvet Island- 6.9
4/13/14 Solomon Islands- 6.6
4/13/14 Solomon Islands- 7.4
4/12/14 Solomon Islands- 7.6

We also had the big earthquake in Chile recently and volcano activity seems to be increasing as well. Seems like there might be a lot of pressure building on the faults on the west coast of the U.S. as we had a 5.4 in Alaska yesterday and the 7.2 in Mexico as well. There have been a lot of microquakes in California and Alaska. I'm wondering if it's time for the big one.


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## CUL8R (Apr 19, 2014)

Anything is possible. And while it's not part of the Ring of Fire around the Pacific, the lava levels under the main Yellowstone caldera are increasing, causing a tilt of Yellowstone lake. I'd hate to see a supervolcano erupt in my lifetime! All anyone can do is update emergency plans, keep your emergency kits/stock up to date, and hope to never need those plans and supplies.


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## N_N_R (Apr 19, 2014)

Noo, no, no, please no. We had a big (well, for us) one - 6.2 almost two years ago with lots of aftershocks and I haven't gotten over it yet :sigh: 

I refuse to read this topic... but as I'm a masochist, I guess I'll keep doing it and buying more lights to fight my PTSD.....:candle:


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## HarryN (Apr 19, 2014)

The need for individuals to prepare for an earthquake is really not very different that what we did in the Midwest to prepare for winter.

- Assume that you might not be able to go to the grocery store for 3 - 7 days (which is in-line with some Iowa winters I went through) This can be as simple as a case of soup, crackers, granola bars. You can make it without fresh vegetables for a week.
- Keep a few cases of bottled water around. Pretty easy.
- Have an extra method of cooking around - similar to going "camping from your car". A simple propane stove will do.
- Easily accessible shoes and gloves

A few things less often on the list:
- Bottle of non perfume / as pure as you can find it, laundry bleach. A capful of bleach in a gallon of water is really useful for cleaning cuts and general sanitation.
- Chocolate - it is a great way to feel better
- Coffee - same reason
- Self lighting charcoal - even if nothing else is working, you can cook with just one piece if you have to, and it is easy to carry around compared to a propane stove.
- Beer / wine - Inconvenient does not have to mean punishment


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## PhotonWrangler (Apr 19, 2014)

+1 on Chocolate and coffee for stated reasons.

Add to the list:
Flashlights and fresh / charged batteries including a lantern style light. A solar battery charger is nice to have also.
Keep a winter jacket handy in case you're without heat for awhile.


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## Hooked on Fenix (Apr 19, 2014)

Keep in mind that the last large earthquake to strike around California that caused significant damage was a 7.2 on Easter Sunday April 4, 2010. Tomorrow is Easter. There was a 7.2 in Mexico yesterday on April 18. The pattern of earthquakes is seeming to follow a similar pattern to that of 2010-2011. What are the odds that California gets hit by a large earthquake on Easter Sunday, shortly after a blood moon on the Jewish Passover?


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## Hooked on Fenix (Apr 23, 2014)

Well, luckily nothing significant occured in CA on Easter. However we aren't out of the woods yet. A 6.6 hit the west coast of Canada today. Looking at seismic activity maps over the last week, it doesn't look like there is much of the San Andreas that isn't active (mostly ones, twos, threes, and a couple fours). I'll probably be checking my preps over the next couple weeks to make sure I'm prepared just in case. It won't hurt to make sure my batteries are charged up and stock up on a little food and water.


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## StarHalo (Apr 23, 2014)

HarryN said:


> A few things less often on the list:
> - Chocolate
> - Coffee
> - Beer / wine



Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff..


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Apr 24, 2014)

orbital said:


> +
> 
> The earths crust is the same thickness as an eggshell, relative to an egg.



Well, that certainly doesn't make me feel better.

Reading this thread I'm encouraged to step up the families preparedness. :thanks:

~ Chance


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## Steve K (Apr 24, 2014)

StarHalo said:


> And I'm surprised anyone in the midwest would prepare for an earthquake with all the preparations needed for storms/tornadoes; I didn't know about furniture straps or strapping your hot water heater until I moved out here..



I haven't heard anything about earthquake preparations in my current location. Tornados are much more likely to be a problem. In November, a small town very close to me was hit by a tornado and I think 800 homes were damaged or destroyed. There was a wide swath where everything was leveled. Very sobering! 

My vague recollection is that there was talk of implementing building codes in St. Louis to require some level of tolerance for earthquakes. The potential for death and damage from the New Madrid quake is significant:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Fault
"The report found that there would be significant damage in the eight states studied – Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee – with the probability of additional damage in states farther from the NMSZ. Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri would be most severely impacted, and the cities of Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri would be severely damaged. The report estimated 86,000 casualties, including 3,500 fatalities; 715,000 damaged buildings; and 7.2 million people displaced, with 2 million of those seeking shelter, primarily due to the lack of utility services. Direct economic losses, according to the report, would be at least $300 billion."


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## Empath (Apr 24, 2014)

Sixteen posts were removed due to being a religious discussion, complete with opposing views. While we do provide an area for such discussion, it's not the Cafe. Feel free to continue the discussion on our Underground Wine Cellar. It even has a special forum for religious discussion.


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## Hooked on Fenix (Apr 24, 2014)

To get back on topic, here's a website that shows disasters worldwide including earthquakes. You can see the line of microquakes along the San Andreas fault. It looks like something is going to happen. I have no idea how big it will be though, but with the 7.2 in Mexico and the 6.6 in Canada I bet some pressure has to be released one way or another between those two earthquakes. http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php We have had a decent amount of large quakes recently and they do seem to follow the same pattern of the earthquakes around the Ring of Fire in 2010-2011. When we get an 8 or 9 earthquake, it seems to have a domino effect that causes more earthquakes in a pattern rotating around the Ring of Fire. Apparently, it's happening again.


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## Steve K (Apr 24, 2014)

What's the current theory on the ability to predict earthquakes? An increase in the number of small earthquakes suggests that a big one might be on the way? Or do small earthquakes release some of the stress and energy that has been stored up, thereby reducing the chance of a big quake? 

Honestly, at a glance, either seems like it could be right, depending on the circumstances.


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## RetroTechie (Apr 24, 2014)

Steve K said:


> An increase in the number of small earthquakes suggests that a big one might be on the way?


It's no secret that many big quakes are preceeded (and followed!) by a number of smaller quakes. I think a good analogy is how the branch of a tree brakes; it's not a single event, but a process. First some smaller pieces break (weakening what's left), then the branch -mostly- breaks, then some smaller leftover pieces finally fall apart.



> Or do small earthquakes release some of the stress and energy that has been stored up,


A big earthquake releases SO MUCH MORE energy, that even many smaller quakes are not enough to put much of a dent in that. If a big one is due, a big one will happen.



> thereby reducing the chance of a big quake?


It's not an "if", but a "when". Plates of the earth's crust keep on moving, and _will_ produce further quakes at some point in time.


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## orbital (Apr 24, 2014)

Steve K said:


> ... Or do small earthquakes release some of the stress and energy that has been stored up, thereby reducing the chance of a big quake?



+ 

I was going to say the same thing,, slowly releasing pressure/energy is better than all at once.

Tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, happen in cycles.
This year is very low for tornadoes, but we had a _unusually_ cold winter.

Science looks to figure these things out, so we can plan accordingly


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## StarHalo (Apr 24, 2014)

Steve K said:


> What's the current theory on the ability to predict earthquakes?



The last above-average quake we had was successfully predicted/warned of by the USGS a full four seconds in advance. Baby steps..

And as is mentioned in that thread, only two people have died in Cali quakes in the last twenty years, which is a significant lull in activity.


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## Hooked on Fenix (Apr 24, 2014)

Steve K said:


> What's the current theory on the ability to predict earthquakes? An increase in the number of small earthquakes suggests that a big one might be on the way? Or do small earthquakes release some of the stress and energy that has been stored up, thereby reducing the chance of a big quake?
> 
> Honestly, at a glance, either seems like it could be right, depending on the circumstances.



After a large earthquake you do have aftershocks. Before large earthquakes you may or may not have foreshocks. Yes, after large earthquakes, you could have smaller earthquakes relieving more pressure on the faultline (aftershocks). You can also have foreshocks along the faultline giving warning of a bigger quake coming. Within this month we have had several large earthquakes around the Ring of Fire. 7 have been 7.0 or higher. For the first few months of the year nothing worldwide was 7.0 or higher. Here's the list from the last 3.5 weeks:
April 1- 8.2 in Chile
April 2- 7.7 in Chile
April 11- 7.1 in Papua New Guinea
April 12- 7.6 in the Solomon Islands
April 13- 7.4 in the Solomon Islands
April 18- 7.2 in Mexico
April 19- 7.5 in Papua New Guinea

Here's the list of 7.0 and above quakes from 2010-2011:
January 3, 2010- 7.1 Solomon Islands
January 12, 2010- 7.0 Haiti*
February 26, 2010- 7.0 Japan
February 27, 2010- 8.8 Chile
April 4, 2010- 7.2 Mexico
April 6, 2010- 7.8 Sumatra, Indonesia
May 9, 2010- 7.2 Sumatra, Indonesia
May 27, 2010- 7.2 Vanuatu
June 13, 2010- 7.5 India*
June 16, 2010- 7.0 Papua, Indonesia
July 18, 2010- 7.3 Papua New Guinea
July 24, 2010- 7.6 Philipines
July 24, 2010- 7.4 Philipines
July 24, 2010- 7.3 Philipines
August 4, 2010- 7.0 Papua New Guinea
August 10, 2010- 7.5 Vanuatu
August 12, 2010- 7.1 Ecuador
September 4, 2010- 7.1 New Zealand
September 29, 2010- 7.2 Papua, Indonesia
October 25, 2010- 7.7 Sumatra, Indonesia
December 21, 2010- 7.4 Japan
December 25, 2010- 7.3 Vanuatu
January 1, 2011- 7.0 Argentina
January 2, 2011- 7.1 Chile
January 13, 2011- 7.0 Loyalty Islands
January 18, 2011- 7.2 Pakistan*
March 9, 2011- 7.3 Japan
March 11, 2011- 9.0 Japan
March 11, 2011- 7.9 Japan
March 11, 2011- 7.7 Japan
April 7, 2011- 7.1 Japan
June 23, 2011- 7.2 Alaska
July 6, 2011- 7.6 New Zealand
July 10, 2011- 7.0 Japan
August 20, 2011- 7.1 Vanuatu
August 20, 2011- 7.0 Vanuatu
September 3, 2011- 7.0 Vanuatu
September 15, 2011- 7.3 Fiji
October 21, 2011- 7.4 New Zealand
October 23, 2011- 7.2 Turkey*
December 14, 2011- 7.1 Papua New Guinea

*= not around the ring of fire

When we get massive earthquakes such as the 9.0 in Japan in 2011, or the 8.8 in Chile in 2010, or the 8.2 in Chile this month, there seems to be a somewhat clockwise rotation of earthquakes around the Ring of Fire that follows. The last time this happened in 2010-2011, the increased activity lasted around 2 years. So far, within 3.5 weeks we have had 7 7.0 or above earthquakes around the Ring of Fire and many volcanoes have become active as well. During 2010 the worldwide average of 7.0 or above earthquakes was 1.83 per month (22 in the year). During 2011 it was 1.58 per month (19 in the year). Not one month in 2010 or 2011 had more than 4 large earthquakes of 7.0 or above. Again, we have had 7 so far this month alone. This is not business as usual.


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## Steve K (Apr 24, 2014)

Those are pretty impressive numbers!

I've been through a couple of 5.6 earthquakes (one in Arizona, and one in Long Beach, CA). Those certainly got my attention, but weren't destructive. I can't imagine how bad something in the 8 to 9 range would be.

This is data that would be great if presented in a format that made it easier to comprehend. Maybe just a graph of monthly earthquakes of a given magnitude, or show multiple graph lines, with one for quakes between 8 and 9, one for quakes between 7 and 8, etc.?

Anyway.. so what's the conclusion of this data? Or what's the expected outcome? Is California finally going to slide into the ocean? Or just a warning for those near known faults to plan accordingly? 
I'll just assume that I'm fairly safe from earthquakes here in the middle of the USA (but still pay attention to my weather radio, listening for tornado warnings)


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## ragweed (Apr 24, 2014)

You can all rest easy! The Bunkers built will ensure the continuity of Government & to those left your taxes are sure to go up through the roof!!


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## Hooked on Fenix (Apr 24, 2014)

Steve K said:


> Those are pretty impressive numbers!
> 
> I've been through a couple of 5.6 earthquakes (one in Arizona, and one in Long Beach, CA). Those certainly got my attention, but weren't destructive. I can't imagine how bad something in the 8 to 9 range would be.
> 
> ...



Put it under the category of a warning to those near known faults to plan accordingly.


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## ElectronGuru (Apr 24, 2014)

Time to install QuakeFeed!:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quakefeed-earthquake-map-alerts/id403037266?mt=8


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## PCC (Apr 25, 2014)

ElectronGuru said:


> Time to install QuakeFeed!:
> 
> https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quakefeed-earthquake-map-alerts/id403037266?mt=8


Thanks for that. I've been looking for something like that.


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## markr6 (Apr 25, 2014)

Interesting. I felt my first "decent" quake here in northern Indiana a few years ago. Very strange sensation; it woke me up since it felt like a bunch of people were shaking my bed as a joke...but I lived alone at the time! Not sure if it had to do with the New Madrid fault, but that could sure produce a nasty one again at some point in the future.


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## Frijid (Apr 26, 2014)

I still swear,that it's due to social media, is the reason for "more" qaukes. cause everyone has social media, and when one happens to happen, everyone reports about it, so to speak. and the news picks up, thus making us think there are more quakes than usual. like how if someone drives down the road at night and sees strange lights in the sky that they would deem a UFO, but they keep it to themselves. Yet, if everyone who shot videos or made reports of seeing ufo's, we would get the impression there was a rise in UFO sightings. Sorta like how tunguska happened, and many didn't know about it until many years after it happened. That's just my thoughts, i don't think we are having much more than usual quakes, i just think more people are "looking" and reporting, thus tricking us into thinking we're having more. Think about it. Somewhere in the us there is a forest fire that we don't know about, because our local news channel doesn't report it. Yet facebook, twitter,etc isn't local, it's worldwide, thus the info is put out and others pick it up and report on it. before, they would only report on major fires, now every little fire gets reported, thus we would think more fires are happening.


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## Fat Boy (Apr 26, 2014)

Frijid said:


> I still swear,that it's due to social media, is the reason for "more" qaukes....



USGS has statistics that show that there has been slight increases for major earthquakes from 1930s-2001. From 2002-today comparatively it's off the charts. Unfortunately I can't find the page on USGS that showed the stats better (I think they took it down because it was pretty freaky) but here is another one that they discontinued in 2012. If you manually count the numbers by decades you are going to be in for a surprise, something IS happening and I for one would not encourage anyone to live near a fault line. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/historical.php/


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## Hooked on Fenix (Apr 26, 2014)

We haven't had any 7s or higher for a week but we did have a 6.6 in Canada on April 24 and a 6.4 in Tonga on April 26. I haven't been comparing data to that of times before social media so I don't even know why that is being brought up. We had social media and the Internet in 2010 when the last batch of large earthquakes occured. What I have shown by the numbers in one of my previous posts is that the average monthly incidence of 7.0 and higher earthquakes in 2010-2011 is roughly 1/4 of what it has been this month so far (the mean average). The months with the most 7.0 or higher earthquakes were July 2010, January 2011, and March 2011 with 4 quakes each at 7.0 or above. 2010 was the year of the 8.8 Chile earthquake. 2011 was the year of the 9.0 Japan earthquake (in March). This month started off with an 8.2 in Chile. It concerns me that so far this month we had 4 times the average incidence of 7.0 and greater earthquakes and almost double (7 vs. 4) the maximum number of these large quakes per month compared to 2010-2011. This makes me wonder, what is coming up next?


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## SkenosTech (Apr 27, 2014)

The last time earthquake activity was getting a lot of press I did some research and actually looked up the stats, but we were right about average. Got info from link below:

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/

Good for anyone wanting to check to see how current trends relate to historical. As I'm found of saying, "Show me the data".


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## hank (Apr 27, 2014)

http://geology.about.com/od/bookreviews/fl/book-Dvorak-Earthquake-Storms.htm

good book review by a smart geology guy:

--- excerpt follows----

"Earthquake storms," which were given their name in the late 1990s by Amos Nur, are a recently recognized pattern of behavior along certain large, complex faults: these faults tend to break in a series of large earthquakes over a period of decades, followed by a longer period of relative quiet. An earthquake storm in Turkey started in 1939 and continues, we think, today. Another one is in progress in western China. The San Andreas is one such fault, and California is in one of those quiet periods between storms. That part of the book is sobering, and the science is too recent to be in the textbooks.

But that's in the last chapter. Getting the reader to the point where earthquake storms make sense takes up almost all of the book....

I was initially somewhat skeptical of the final chapter, in which Dvorak lays out a set of facts documenting earthquake storms and the uncannily strong link between Pacific Northwest mega-earthquakes and "big ones" on the San Andreas fault. Nevertheless it isn't hard to confirm that serious research lies behind his assertions. Many readers will sorely miss a map of the fault and the localities along it—but again, that's what our PCs and tablets are for. The old textbook refrain "This is left as an exercise for the reader" should be kept in mind and acted upon.

---- end excerpt----


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 1, 2014)

Looks like we had a 6.6 in New Caledonia. It's not a 7 or higher but it's a significant size. I would expect more of this size and larger quakes in the south Pacific due to all of the currently active volcanoes in the region. Here's a link with all the worldwide earthquake data split up by magnitude and frequency from 2000-2014: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquakes_in_2014 Keep in mind while looking at the data, that 2014 isn't even half over so don't think that there is a decrease in activity this year. You can scroll between years for more specific information about all the earthquakes of that year by clicking on the year numbers.


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## StarHalo (May 1, 2014)

There were earthquakes in north central Oklahoma today, a 3.6 and a 3.1 notably, bring their count to 36 measurable quakes this week.


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## StarHalo (May 2, 2014)

Animated time lapse of April earthquakes:


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 5, 2014)

Looks like we are still getting decent sized quakes in May. We have had 6 6 magnitude earthquakes in the past 5 days.
5/1/14 New Caledonia 6.6
5/2/14 Indonesia 6.0
5/4/14 Fiji 6.6
5/4/14 Fiji 6.1
5/4/14 Japan 6.0
5/5/14 Thailand 6.0

6 6 magnitude earthquakes are the amount that took place in the entire month of January. The number has increased since then. For earthquakes between 6.0 and 6.9, in February we had 8. In March, we had 16. In April, we had 18. Now within the first 5 days of May, we had 6. At this rate, if it stays the same, we could possibly see a doubling of last months 6.0-6.9 quakes by the end of May.


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## N_N_R (May 5, 2014)

Ok, this night we had two smallish earthquakes in my city .... (yes, exactly my city). But I feel I should do something about my BOB and EDC. I usually sleep with my lights and tools next to my head..... but tonight my reactions both times were to just roll over the bed and go for the inside of the house and avoid outside walls (my bed is near one). I did not reach for a light or MT. So... perhaps I should teach myself to grab one of them.... or.. don't know.


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## StarHalo (May 5, 2014)

N_N_R said:


> my reactions both times were to just roll over the bed and go for the inside of the house and avoid outside walls (my bed is near one). I did not reach for a light or MT.



Just avoid heavy/loose things like bookcases/shelves and wait patiently. You're more of a danger to yourself running in a panic than keeping your cool and making a mental note of where your gear is if you need it. If you have a local radio news station, turn that on immediately after to get info and updates.


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## N_N_R (May 5, 2014)

Yeah, I've also read/heard that moving around is actually more dangerous than just staying still in bed. That's just my first instinct, though, it seems... Thank God those were short ones, so by the time I got off bed, they were over.


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 6, 2014)

Looks like we might have had a 6.1 (preliminary magnitude) earthquake in Papua New Guinea today. It's not up on the USGS website yet. If they downgrade it to a 5.9 or lower, it might not even show up on the USGS site though.


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## chiphead (May 7, 2014)

Is the Ring of Fire unzipping?
chiphead


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## Steve K (May 8, 2014)

a big quake in Mexico....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...134c44-d6d3-11e3-8f7d-7786660fff7c_story.html

MEXICO CITY — A strong earthquake on the Pacific coast of Mexico shook the capital on Thursday, sending frightened office workers streaming into the streets away from high-rise buildings.
The 6.4-magnitude temblor in southern Guerrero state had an epicenter about 9 miles (15 kilometers) north of Tecpan de Galeana and about 171 miles (277 kilometers) southwest of Mexico City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The quake had a depth of 15 miles (23 kilometers). There was only mild shaking in the resort city of Acapulco, according to an Associated Press reporter there. The USGS downgraded the magnitude from 6.8.


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 8, 2014)

That makes 9 6.0-6.9 magnitude earthquakes in the last 8 days. Here's the list:
1. 5/1/14 New Caledonia 6.6
2. 5/2/14 Indonesia 6.0
3. 5/4/14 Fiji 6.6
4. 5/4/14 Fiji 6.1
5. 5/4/14 Japan 6.0
6. 5/5/14 Thailand 6.0
7. 5/6/14 West Chile Rise 6.1
8. 5/7/14 Papua New Guinea 6.1
9. 5/8/14 Mexico 6.4


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## AZPops (May 10, 2014)

So are we talking about this activity is leading to a major quake, and or tsunami's to the coastal cities?


:tinfoil:


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 10, 2014)

AZPops said:


> So are we talking about this activity is leading to a major quake, and or tsunami's to the coastal cities?
> 
> 
> :tinfoil:



No. This activity has already lead to several major quakes and several tsunami warnings (especially last month). The fact is that the activity is increasing in frequency around the Ring of Fire. Many volcanoes have become active since the 8.2 magnitude April 1 Chile earthquake. We had 7 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher last month alone. Several tsunami warnings accompanied these quakes though nothing produced was even remotely as bad as the tsunami from the 9.0 Japan quake. During the months of 2010-2011 (during the times of the 8.8 Chile quake and the 9.0 Japan quake), the most quakes we had per month of 7.0 and higher was 4. Last month was nearly double that with 7. For 6.0 to 6.9 quakes, in January, we had 6. In February, we had 8. In March, we had 16. In April, we had 18. In just the last 10 days, we have had 10 quakes 6.0-6.9 including the 6.0 in Mexico today. From 2010-2014, the most 6.0-6.9 quakes we've had in any given month was 23 in March 2010. This was the month before the 7.2 Baja California quake and the 7.8 Sumatra quake in April 2010 and the month after the 8.8 in Chile. We had a large 8.2 quake in Chile last month just like February 2010. Now we are seeing a large amount of 6.0 to 6.9 quakes just like March 2010. In April 2010, we had a 7.2 near Southern California and a 7.8 in Sumatra. We had a 7.2 in Mexico last month as well. I don't know what will happen, but the pattern is similar to the quakes of 2010-2011 and that caused a lot of big quakes including a 9.0.


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## PCC (May 10, 2014)

The problem is that we just don't know enough about the complex interactions of the earth's crust plates and the molten mantle to be able to say what's going to happen next. We can look at previous earthquakes and make assumptions, but, they're educated guesses at best. All we really know is that earthquakes happen and areas that have had large earthquakes in the past will probably have large earthquakes again. If you live in one of these areas then you should be worried, but, you shouldn't look at recent earthquake activity and use that to get you to prepare for the next one: you should have been prepared years ago.


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## AZPops (May 11, 2014)

This is a really interesting (and informative) thread, thanks!


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 13, 2014)

Found this article on FoxNews.com. Seems California officials are starting to get worried about the big one striking soon. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/1...magnitude-quake-strikes-la/?intcmp=latestnews


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 13, 2014)

Looks like we had a 6.8 in Panama today. We had a couple days with no quakes 6.0 or above and now this strong one today. 11 in 13 days is still well above average. We had a 5 off the coast of Oregon yesterday. It seems that the faultlines on the west coast of the U.S. are starting to wake up with more than just microquakes. We've had some threes and a four or two in California so far but nothing bigger than the 5+ last month in L.A.


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## cland72 (May 13, 2014)

Haven't seen anyone mention a generator yet. Around here I could pick one up for as little as $100, and at least be able to keep my fridge running so the food doesn't spoil. Keep a couple of 5 gallon jerry cans around, and you have a few days worth of power to preserve your perishables.

Also, know how to disconnect/shut off your natural gas, electricity, and water supplies. In an earthquake your structure may be compromised and the last thing you want is for gas to be spewing everywhere, or have your house/apartment flooded by water due to a line break.


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 13, 2014)

Generators do help in the short run for blackouts caused by a large earthquake or other natural disaster. I just got my power back on from a couple hour blackout from the Santa Ana winds. Multiple small fires are popping up in San Diego County today. (I did not need a generator for this blackout.) The issue you have with a large earthquake or large fire is that it can destroy the infrastructure required to get gas for the backup generator. If a main road is damaged or a rockslide takes place, it could block the resupply of fuel for the gas stations. An earthquake can knock out the power which is required to run the gas station. If there is no power to the ATMs or banks, all you may have is a bit of cash for supplies such as food or fuel. We are too dependent on a just in time delivery system for all of our needs and few people have any backups. Any disaster that knocks out the power for more than a day or two can deprive you of water, food, refridgeration, air conditioning, indoor plumbing, money, lighting, transportation, communication, and the means for cooking, cleaning, and sanitation. Furthermore, if an earthquake causes a blackout, fires often are caused either by sparking downed power lines or people using candles carelessly. Once you have damage from a large earthquake, you could be homeless with all of the things you need being impossible to get, and possibly having to run from a fire, looters, or other problems that pop up. You can prepare for earthquakes. The problem comes when the option of a resupply becomes impossible due to an interruption in the transportation system or your preps are buried, burned, or destroyed in the initial disaster.

Here's some advice:
1. Keep a supply of non-perishable food and bottled water handy in case of any disaster. I'd suggest 2 weeks worth per person to get through most disasters.
2. Keep your car gassed up. Don't let it drop below half a tank on a regular basis. Disasters tend to happen when you're not prepared. Don't let yourself be stranded when something bad happens.
3. Have a source of fuel or power for a generator, flashlights, lanterns, and stoves and keep all these things easy to find before it gets dark.
4. Have a backup plan. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. You can prepare for everything short of the end of the world, but if your house full of preps burns to the ground or gets eaten by a sink hole, you're screwed. Have somewhere else you can go if disaster strikes at home. You can call this a bug out location or Grandma's house. I don't care. Just have somewhere you can go that has what you need.


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 15, 2014)

Here's the update on earthquakes this month so far. We are up to 15 quakes between 6.0 and 6.9 in 15 days:
1. 5/1/14 New Caledonia 6.6
2. 5/2/14 Indonesia 6.0
3. 5/4/14 Fiji 6.6
4. 5/4/14 Fiji 6.1
5. 5/4/14 Japan 6.0
6. 5/5/14 Thailand 6.0
7. 5/6/14 West Chile Rise 6.1
8. 5/7/14 Papua New Guinea 6.1
9. 5/8/14 Mexico 6.4 
10. 5/10/14 Mexico 6.0
11. 5/12/14 East Pacific Rise 6.5
12. 5/13/14 Panama 6.5
13. 5/14/14 Micronesia 6.1
14. 5/15/14 Micronesia 6.6
15. 5/15/14 Philipines 6.2

Three more and we'll match last month for the most 6-6.9 quakes this year, and we're only halfway through the month. The most 6.0-6.9 quakes in any given month within the last 10 years was in October 2009 which had 31. At this pace, we may get close to matching that for this month.


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## orbital (May 16, 2014)

+

Excess pulling of water from aquifers could be destabilizing the California fault system,, *this seems more than plausible to me*
..love to hear hydrologist/geologists/seismologists thoughts on this

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/7...reas-fault-increasing-risk-of-earthquakes.htm


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 16, 2014)

Looks like we might have a 6.0 in Guadelope today (as long as the USGS doesn't downgrade it to a 5). That would make 16 6.0-6.9 quakes in 16 days. Things are still pretty active. This one is not part of the Ring of Fire though.


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## RetroTechie (May 18, 2014)

May 18: A 6.2 quake near Sumatra, Indonesia. Saw it mentioned on a Dutch news site, couldn't (yet?) find it on CNN or BBC news. Seems like it didn't do much damage other than scare people... :duck:

Link: 6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia: USGS


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 18, 2014)

I saw that one yesterday on http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php . It was listed as a 6.0. I wanted to wait to report it since USGS tends to downgrade those quakes a couple points which would make it less than a 6. It's not up on the USGS site yet, but it did pop up on this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquakes_in_2014 . That makes 17 in what was 17 days.


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 19, 2014)

This was not a large earthquake, but given it's proximity to Los Angeles (and a lot of people), it is significant. Today, there was a 3.9 near Big Bear City. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/...city-california-20140519-story.html?track=rss . This is almost large enough to stand out on this disaster map, but not quite (4+ magnitude quakes show up in color. Anything under 4 shows up in white.): http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php . Seems as though the fault lines around Los Angeles are still pretty active. I wonder if this will be the peak of the activity or if it is a foreshock for something bigger.


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## StarHalo (May 20, 2014)

Hooked on Fenix said:


> Today, there was a 3.9 near Big Bear City.



Not far from me, but I was driving at the time, probably on the freeway, so missed it entirely..


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 24, 2014)

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Greece today (5/24/14). It's hard to find news reports on it so far, but it is recorded on the USGS website.


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## PhotonWrangler (May 24, 2014)

I found an article here...


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## Hooked on Fenix (May 31, 2014)

We had a 6.2 in Mexico today (May 31). That makes 19 6.0-6.9 quakes for the month unless we get more than one today.


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jun 5, 2014)

Looks like there is a possibility of a large quake soon in Los Angeles: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-la-quakes-20140603-story.html
Also seems like Alaska may be at risk as well:http://rt.com/usa/163604-earthquake-alaska-us-termor/
Both area have been experiencing earthquake swarms. Alaska has experienced quakes as large as 9.2 in the past so we have a general idea of the magnitude Alaska's quakes can get up to (huge).


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jun 7, 2014)

Looks like a 6.0 earthquake just struck Red Dog Mine, Alaska. This was not in the main area of the recent earthquake swarm.


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## gadget_lover (Jun 7, 2014)

The nice thing about earthquakes is that they are localized, and you can build for them. With certain exceptions, the further you are from the epicenter the less damage is done. 

I have lived near Silicon Valley most of my life. I live within 10 miles of two known faults. A magnitude 5 quake 10 miles away is felt, but causes no damage. Even a 6.9 right at the epicenter will cause little damage to a properly built house. 

The scary part is that many of the seismic designs are not tested until there is a major quake. That is what happened to the elevated freeway in Oakland during the Loma Prieta quake. A 1955 design for concrete support columns was not tested until after the freeway collapsed. Since then, every freeway overpass that used similar designs has been reinforced. 

All of this is just to say that I'd rather live in an earthquake zone as opposed to a tornado or hurricane zone. 

Daniel


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## Canuke (Jun 8, 2014)

gadget_lover said:


> All of this is just to say that I'd rather live in an earthquake zone as opposed to a tornado or hurricane zone.
> 
> Daniel



There are limits to how big a quake you can economically build for, and "building" is an option for so few who live in the California cities even for those with money. If you rent.... well, you better know how to research building construction and fault maps.

I would imagine that building for hurricanes and tornadoes should be easier, for small buildings at least; just build into the ground. Hurricanes won't touch you there. Can't say the same for an earthquake, unless you live in a balloon.

You also get warnings and probabilities with weather; your preparations can be localized. By the time you know a quake's coming, it's here - so the likelihood of being caught in a bad place (like the effing men's room!) and/or away from loved ones is annoyingly uncontrollable.

I say all this knowing that I have a high likelihood of getting a job offer in Los Angeles. What a thread to browse knowing that


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## luxxlightsaber (Jun 8, 2014)

The end of this system of things is very close this earthquake activity is prophetic. And that is a irrefutable fact. Great earth quakes in one place after the other!! Read it research it meditate on it and don't blow it off!!


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## StarHalo (Jun 23, 2014)

Oklahoma has had 207 3.0-magnitude earthquakes this year, compared to California's 140. Hope you Midwesterners have those water heaters and bookshelves strapped..


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jun 23, 2014)

Looks like we got some decent quakes recently:
6/19/14 Vanuatu 6.4
6/23/14 New Zealand 6.9
6/23/14 New Zealand 6.3
6/23/14 Alaska 7.9
6/24/14 Alaska 6.6

I'm curious if the 7.9 off the coast in Alaska will cause a tsunami or not. I'm also wondering if it's large enough to cause increased activity around the Ring of Fire. Alaska and California have seemed to be the most active recently. I'm hoping California isn't next as we are overdue for a big one.


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jun 24, 2014)

Looks like the Alaska earthquake had a tsunami of only up to 0.7 feet. That's a relief. However, there appears to be more large quakes developing around the Ring of Fire. On one earthquake map, I see a 7.2 off the coast of Tonga and a 7.0 next to it off the coast of New Zealand. These may only be preliminary magnitudes. I haven't been able to confirm these quakes on other websites yet. Since they are off the coast, unless they cause tsunamis, they won't be a big deal for news stations to cover. Several 5s have popped up as well, half a dozen are off the coast of Japan. Activity seems to be picking up.

Edit:
It seems as though the 6.9 and 6.3 in my last post in New Zealand were probably the 7.2 and 7.0 in Tonga and New Zealand and occurred before the Alaska quake . These quakes were downgraded by the USGS to the lower magnitudes. Apparently, the 6.9 off the coast of New Zealand and Tonga came right before the 7.9 in Alaska. These two quakes were on polar opposites of the Ring of Fire and it has been suggested that this is not a coincidence (the first quake made the second more likely to occur).


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jun 29, 2014)

Looks like we got a few more decent sized quakes:
6/29/14 Japan 6.2
6/29/14 Visokoi Island 6.9
6/29/14 Utufua 6.8
6/29/14 Utufua 6.2

There also seems to be some more activity along the North American Craton. Within the last day, we got a 4.3 in Sinaloa, Mexico, a 5.2 along the border of Arizona and New Mexico, and a 4.6 in Utah. All these quakes are pretty much lined up north to south.


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## Poppy (Jun 29, 2014)

I really don't know much about quakes, but does an increase in small quakes predict an increased likelihood of a LARGE one? OR;
can a bunch of smaller quakes relieve some stress, so that a LARGE quake is less likely?

OR... an increase in small quakes, means nothing other than there is evidence that the Earth's mantel/continents are still moving.


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## StarHalo (Jun 29, 2014)

Poppy said:


> does an increase in small quakes predict an increased likelihood of a LARGE one?



It's like a coin flip or roulette; each new day is a 50/50 chance regardless of the previous day.


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jun 29, 2014)

Poppy said:


> I really don't know much about quakes, but does an increase in small quakes predict an increased likelihood of a LARGE one? OR;
> can a bunch of smaller quakes relieve some stress, so that a LARGE quake is less likely?
> 
> OR... an increase in small quakes, means nothing other than there is evidence that the Earth's mantel/continents are still moving.




Yes.


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## orbital (Jun 29, 2014)

+

Earthquakes aren't increasing,, the availability of earthquake data, is.



____________________________________________________________


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jun 29, 2014)

Out of the 12 worldwide earthquakes that were 6.0 or above in magnitude in June, 4 of them occurred today alone.


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## Chauncey Gardiner (Jun 29, 2014)

Hooked on Fenix said:


> Out of the 12 worldwide earthquakes that were 6.0 or above in magnitude in June, 4 of them occurred today alone.



Conclusions? Speculations? What does it mean? Is it important for someone in North America to know what's happened in Asia, earthquake wise? Will knowing cause them to take action to be better prepared? 

~ Chance


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## orbital (Jun 30, 2014)

+

The entire west coast of the US has a good 90% chance of a 7+ earthquake anywhere between this afternoon & 20 years from now.
There is no 'I told you so' with earthquakes,, they will happen.

West coast US is a strike slip fault complex, so it will not be the enormous _subduction zone_ quake of say Japan
*The only issue is architecture & infrastructure to deal with it,,, like say Japan*

California will have massive damage ($) in their next big quake,, 
then they will cry to the gov.* to pay for it.

That's precicely why nothing is being done now,, it's a waiting game.



*other taxpayers


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jul 7, 2014)

There was a 4.6 quake near Big Bear, CA July 5 and a 6.9 quake in Puerto Madero, Mexico today. These quakes are getting a little closer to home. Chauncey, it is important for someone in North America to take notice of the earthquakes happening in Asia. What happens on one side of the Ring of Fire can put pressure on the other side of the Ring of Fire. We saw this with the 6.9 in Tonga right before the 7.9 in Alaska. This doesn't always happen. Sometimes a quake for one reason or another will not cause more quakes. Sometimes the quakes will cause others rotating around the Ring of Fire such as after the 9.0 Japan quake. However, the fact that the West coast of the U.S. has had minor quakes compared to everywhere else along the Ring of Fire means that pressure is building up for the big one. California will have a large earthquake. It's not a matter of if, but when.


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## PCC (Aug 24, 2014)

Was woken up by a significant earthquake about ten minutes ago. Quakefeed shows it as a 5.7 centered a few miles south of Sonoma. The shaking lasted about 10 to 15 seconds but seemed to shake for longer. Not a violent shaking, just the whole house shaking from side to side for a long time, longer than the 'i89 Loma Prieta earthquake from what I remember of that event.

<Edit> Just checked Quakefeed again and it's been upgraded to a 6.0. My main worry is that this was a pre-shock to something bigger.


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## jonnyfgroove (Aug 24, 2014)

PCC said:


> Was woken up by a significant earthquake about ten minutes ago. Quakefeed shows it as a 5.7 centered a few miles south of Sonoma. The shaking lasted about 10 to 15 seconds but seemed to shake for longer. Not a violent shaking, just the whole house shaking from side to side for a long time, longer than the 'i89 Loma Prieta earthquake from what I remember of that event.
> 
> <Edit> Just checked Quakefeed again and it's been upgraded to a 6.0. My main worry is that this was a pre-shock to something bigger.



That was the largest quake I've ever experienced. Hopefully you are wrong about something bigger in the near future.


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## mudcamper (Aug 24, 2014)

PCC said:


> <Edit> Just checked Quakefeed again and it's been upgraded to a 6.0. My main worry is that this was a pre-shock to something bigger.



USGS gives a 54% chance of an aftershock as large as 5.0 within 7 days. And only a 5% to 10% chance for a quake larger than the main quake within the next 7 days.

(And it woke me up also.)


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## Hooked on Fenix (Aug 24, 2014)

I heard there were some injuries, but no deaths so far with that quake. Some gas lines broken, houses caught on fire, and road closures though. I think the biggest loss will be from the expensive wine bottles damaged or destroyed from the shaking. Many people in the area don't have earthquake insurance which could be really bad for the wineries in Napa Valley. I hope this quake isn't a foreshock for something larger. With the recent pattern of larger earthquakes rotating around the Ring of Fire, I wouldn't be surprised if the next large quake came from southern California or northern Mexico rather than in the same area. Let's just hope that quake released enough pressure to lower the risk of more quakes for the immediate future.


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## StarHalo (Aug 24, 2014)

"The Napa Quake", largest in Cali in 25 years, but still no earthquake fatalities in the state for over twenty years..


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## mudcamper (Aug 24, 2014)

Hooked on Fenix said:


> Many people in the area don't have earthquake insurance which could be really bad for the wineries in Napa Valley



Almost nobody ever gets earthquake insurance. It's one of those things that insurance companies don't like to insure, so they set the rates far beyond affordability. It's odd, given that strong earthquakes are an extremely rare probability event, and damage or injury from them is practically statistically undetectable. People who don't live in CA tend to over-dramatize earthquakes. I've lived here for 47 years, and have only felt 3 quakes.


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## raz-0 (Aug 24, 2014)

mudcamper said:


> Almost nobody ever gets earthquake insurance. It's one of those things that insurance companies don't like to insure, so they set the rates far beyond affordability. It's odd, given that strong earthquakes are an extremely rare probability event, and damage or injury from them is practically statistically undetectable. People who don't live in CA tend to over-dramatize earthquakes. I've lived here for 47 years, and have only felt 3 quakes.



It may be rare statistically for any individual, at least for catastrophic damage, but when it does hit, it's a lot of high dollar claims. It may just be that reinsurance dollars are only out there at a premium to cover the gap between claims and the insurance pool.


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## Hooked on Fenix (Aug 24, 2014)

Hooked on Fenix said:


> I heard there were some injuries, but no deaths so far with that quake. Some gas lines broken, houses caught on fire, and road closures though. I think the biggest loss will be from the expensive wine bottles damaged or destroyed from the shaking. Many people in the area don't have earthquake insurance which could be really bad for the wineries in Napa Valley. I hope this quake isn't a foreshock for something larger. With the recent pattern of larger earthquakes rotating around the Ring of Fire, I wouldn't be surprised if the next large quake came from southern California or northern Mexico rather than in the same area. Let's just hope that quake released enough pressure to lower the risk of more quakes for the immediate future.



Looks like a large quake did hit farther south along the Ring of Fire from the Napa Valley quake. It just hit farther south than southern California or Mexico. A 7.0 struck Peru today.


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