Earthquake notifications and preparedness on the minds of many following recent shakers

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Did you feel it?

That has become a common refrain following earthquakes this summer.

The latest magnitude 4.4 earthquake moved underfoot in downtown Los Angeles a 12:20 p.m. on Monday.

It was felt in Ventura County and parts of Santa Barbara.

Many people, up and down the coast, have friends and family who felt the earth move.

Some people felt a series of quakes centered near Bakersfield last week.

Thanks to the My Shake app many people knew about it beforehand.

The Director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management Director Kelly Hubbard said people are now being notified beforehand thanks to the free MyShake App.

"That is the concept, nowadays we can notify people, maybe seconds, not usually too much ahead of time, it is not predictive, it is that the sensors can feel the earthquake coming and notify you that the earthquake is coming," Hubbard, " This gives you a few seconds to pull over your vehicle if it is a large earthquake or set down a project maybe you work in carpentry and you are using a saw set that down those kinds of concepts and just be prepared and now that is it coming so you can take action quickly."

There are other apps as well.

"It's early warning, it's the earthquake early warning program and MyShake is one of the many that you can download to your phone, but there are others out there, the MyShake app is the one we generally refer to," said Hubbard.

Santa Barbara and Ventura County residents are likely to remember the earthquake near Ojai last November.

It left behind some damage.

Next June 29, 2025 will mark the 100th anniversary of the deadly Santa Barbara earthquake.

The 6.3 magnitude quake led to rebuilding that gave Santa Barbara the Spanish architecture it is known for along State Street.

"This is just a reminder to us that we live in earthquake country, earthquakes are expected to happen. We have not had a significant one in Santa Barbara, " said Hubbard, "100 year anniversary of the major one in Santa Barbara is coming up next year. We are hoping to do a lot of outreach to our community about that, but this is a good reminder that it is time to prepare now."

It is always a good time to get ready and to rehearse your plans and restock old supplies.

Having an emergency kit with items that will lasts several days is key.

Kits may be made of duffel bags, backpacks, trash cans and other items.

The should include water, non-perishable food, battery-powered radios, flashlights, first aid kits, garbage bags, and can openers.

Prescription medications, pet food, baby items, important documents, sleeping bags are also items that could be added, depending on the situation.

Hubbard has several for her home, car and work.

She also recommends having tools in case you need to turn off gas or water lines.

"You want to know how to turn those off and you want to have the right tool to do that."

For more information visit https://www.readysbc.org and https://myshake.berkeley.edu