SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MARCH 2024 9
By Daniel Mendez, Resident
Did you feel the earth shake on Jan. 24? It
was just a 4.1 shake, so there probably wasn't
any damage to your property. But I fear that
it was just another warning to remind us of
what's to come. Many of us remember the
Northridge earthquake that occurred in
1994. At 4:31 a.m. PST on Jan. 17, the ground
shook for approximately 20 seconds in the
San Fernando Valley. The earthquake had a
Richter Scale magnitude of 6.7. There were
57 deaths and 9,000 injuries. According to
the third Uniform California Earthquake
Rupture Forecast report, there is a 99 percent
chance of another 6.7 or 7.0+ earthquake
striking in California within the next 20
years.
Small shakes like we experienced in
January this year are warnings to get your
stuff together. You should have emergency
supplies on hand, bolt down tall furniture,
and install the MyShake app on your cell
phones. The MyShake app is effective in
sending out a warning a few seconds before
a shake, giving you time to protect your vital
organs or to move away from a dangerous
place.
The EPAC (Emergency Preparedness
Advisory Committee) conducts community-
wide drills that I encourage you to attend
even if you've seen or heard it said once, it's
best to hear it again to stay sharp.
Remember the green emergency card
drill we did in November? If there is an
earthquake above 5.0, please use your cards
to let us know if you need help: Red Card. Or,
if you are OK: Green Card. We may be on our
own for a few days before help can arrive if
there is a lot of damage or several causalities.
I hope this isn't scaring you so much that
you pack up your things and sell your house.
This is a beautiful state with so much to do
and explore. Solera Diamond Valley is in my
opinion, hands down, one of the best you'll
find anywhere.
Earthquake Awareness
