(OPINION) This wasn’t “the Big One”, but hopefully it will serve as a wake up call for millions of California residents. The magnitude 6.4 earthquake that just struck northern California killed two people and caused quite a bit of damage, but scientists have been persistently warning us that someday a massive earthquake will hit the region that will be absolutely catastrophic.
In fact, just one day before the magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit northern California, we were specifically warned that someday a very large quake in northern California could cause “thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in damage”. The following was posted by the Daily Mail on December 19th…
Seismologists say San Francisco is due a devastating earthquake in the not-too-distant future – potentially causing thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in damage.
The United States Geological Survey predicts there is a 51 percent chance of a magnitude 7 quake hitting within the next three decades – releasing energy equivalent to around 1,000 atomic bombs.
A quake of that magnitude would ruin buildings, shut off electricity and vital communications, and cause huge wildfires, according to government modeling. So is it just a coincidence that a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the region just one day later? Maybe. According to Fox News, the quake that just hit Humboldt County caused substantial damage “to roads and homes”…
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office warned in an alert of “widespread damages to roads and homes” reported throughout the county after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook the northern California coast early Tuesday morning.
“Due to a large earthquake, widespread damages to roads and homes are reported throughout Humboldt County. Be prepared for aftershocks. Check gas and water lines for damages or leaks. Exercise caution if traveling,” it said in a tweet.
This is the largest earthquake that the state has experienced in quite a while, and one local resident says that the shaking lasted for about 15 to 20 seconds… Jimmy Eller, who claims to live in the county, tweeted: “That earthquake was insane. A good 15-20 seconds of shaking.” (READ MORE)
