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AP19:074
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2019
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Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Legislative Author of California's Earthquake Warning System, Issues Statement on Today's Historic Launch
SACRAMENTO, CA – California Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued the following statement on today's launch of the state's early earthquake early warning system. In 2013, then State Senator Alex Padilla authored Senate Bill 135, signed by Governor Jerry Brown, which required the state to establish the nation's first statewide early warning system.
"Thirty years ago today the Loma Prieta Earthquake shook the Bay Area, leading to 63 deaths and injuring thousands. Five years later, the Northridge Earthquake lead to 57 deaths, thousands of injuries, and over $20 billion in damage. Millions of Californians were hit without warning. There was no lead time for motorists to pull over, for infrastructure to safely shut down, for Californians to take cover."
"Technology has come a long way since then, but unfortunately the United States has lagged behind the rest of the world in deploying an early warning system, even though the technology was developed here in California. That changes today."
"As a State Senator, I authored the law requiring an early warning system because it is not a matter of if, but when the next major earthquake hits California. Six long years after my bill was signed into law, the system is now being deployed. Today, California meets our moral and economic need for an advanced warning system. The investment in deploying the early warning system is small compared to the countless lives and property that will be saved in the future."
"When the next big earthquake strikes, every second of advance notice will matter. Providing advanced warning could be the difference between life and death. I urge every Californian to download the California Earthquake Early Warning System app, MyShake, today."
You can find it in the Apple App Store and Google Play store.
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