The San Andreas fault is ‘locked, loaded and ready to go’: Experts warn California to brace itself for a deadly earthquake
Thomas Jordan of Southern California Earthquake Centre made warning
San Andreas fault is longest in California and one of the most dangerous
Said ‘springs on the San Andreas system have been wound very tight’
‘Big one’ could kill hundreds and cause billions of dollars of damage
By SARAH GRIFFITHS
DailyMail.com
5 May 2016
Californians are being told to brace for ‘the big one’ – a massive earthquake that typically occurs every 400 to 600 years and could leave thousands dead or homeless.
An earthquake scientist has added to claims the dreaded event is overdue, warning the San Andreas fault is ‘locked, loaded and ready to roll’.
The fault is the longest in California and one of the state’s most dangerous.
Thomas Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Centre, said the fault has been ‘too quiet’ since 1857.
This is when the last big quake to strike a southern section rippled from Monterey County to the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles with a magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale.
Speaking at the National Earthquake Conference in Long Beach, Mr Jordan said: ‘The springs on the San Andreas system have been wound very, very tight and the southern San Andreas fault, in particular, looks like it’s locked, loaded and ready to go.’
He also said other sections of the 810 mile-long (1,304km) fault are overdue for a quake too, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Rest…HERE
