Preparedness urged following 5.3 earthquake in ocean west of LA
A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Ventura County Thursday a little after 12:30 pm.
“It shook for about 10 to 15 seconds, the flags starting shaking, then we realized it was an earthquake,” said Zachary Boetta, a Cal State Channel Islands student.
Boetto was in the Cal State Channel Islands library right before 12:30 in the afternoon when it hit.
“It definitely made me realize that we need to be participating in a few more earthquake drills consistently,” Boetto said.
Read: New smartphone app gathers information about earthquakes
“The important thing that this teaches us is to prepare, the time to prepare is today,” said Jose Contreras, an emergency services coordinator for the Riverside County Emergency Management Department.
Contreras has been warning residents that the big one is due.
“San Andres passes through the Coachella Valley,” Contreras said. “When that hits were definitely going to be affected.”
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But some locals admit they are not prepared.
“I get a bunch of water and canned food and I forget about it and use it,” said Diana Phillips, a Rancho Mirage resident.
“I don’t think it’s going to happen so I don’t worry about it,” said another local resident.
Contreras gave KESQ & CBS Local 2’s Lauren Coronado a behind-the-scenes look at the valley’s emergency operations center. In the event of an emergency, it’s where a coordinated response will take place.
“They’ll wear their vests, turn on their computers, and start working to gather information. Here on the screens, we’ll be having whatever information is coming in from other stakeholders,” Contreras said.
Outside the building, stands a million dollar radio tower, equipped to withstand a natural disaster and allow for emergency communication.
“It’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen. It’s when,” Contreras said.
Riverside County is asking the public to register for ‘Alert Riv Co.’ It’s a communication service used to alert the public of action to take in the event of an emergency.
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