Earthquake early warning app now available in Washington

Washington residents can now download MyShake, an earthquake early warning app, and get extra seconds of warning before the ground shakes arrive.

Check the Earthquake Tracker

The app has already been delivering alerts in California and Oregon, and is available to Washingtonians as of Jan. 26.

“Getting seconds of warning before an earthquake strikes may not sound like much, but it is plenty of time to drop, cover and hold on to protect yourself,” said Maximilian Dixon, the geologic hazards supervisor for the Washington Emergency Management Division.

There are already alert warning systems available to mobile phone users, but MyShake may be a faster way to get earthquake alerts.

The warning system use ground motion sensors in Washington, Oregon, and California to detect earthquakes and notify people ahead of ground shaking.

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Seismologists at UC Berkeley created the MyShake app, which has been downloaded more than 1.6 million times.