If you live in California, you might want to make sure
you are prepared for a mega-earthquake:
The estimated chance of whether such a mega-earthquake would hit California in the next three decades was raised to 7% from about 4.7%, the U.S. Geological Survey said Tuesday.
An 8.0 earthquake hitting a populated area would be devastating — producing 89 times more energy than the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake in 1994. Such powerful quakes are relatively rare — scientists believe the last mega-quake to hit Southern California was a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in 1857.
And which fault is most likely to produce a mega-earthquake?
The southern San Andreas is "most likely to host a large earthquake," the forecast said. This section of the fault has a 19% chance of having a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake in the next 30 years centered in California's Mojave Desert.
Their final warning for California residents—live every day like the "Big One" is going to hit that day and be prepared.