California ‘not ready’ for MEGA EARTHQUAKE as 4.4 tremor rattles most DANGEROUS fault
CALIFORNIA has been struck by a powerful earthquake on a dangerous fault line experts believe could unleash a dreaded “big one” as soon as tomorrow.
By Joshua Nevett
DailyStar.co.uk
4th January 2018
California has today been rocked by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake in the Bay Area of Berkley shortly after 3am local time (11am GMT).
The “terrifying” tremor has left millions across the state fearing an imminent “Big One” earthquake measuring magnitude 7 or greater on the Richter Scale.
The US state has not been struck by a magnitude 7 or greater earthquake since a colossal rupture in the San Andreas Fault laid waste to San Francisco in 1906.
The massive magnitude 7.8 earthquake reduced buildings to rubble in less than a minute, killing around 7,500 people and destroying 80% of the city.
Experts believe there is a 70% chance a tremor on a similar scale will strike the Bay Area of San Francisco within the next 30 years.
The San Andreas Fault – a 750-mile fissure that runs the length of California – is thought to be the biggest risk.
Speaking to Daily Star Online, seismologist Peggy Hellweg, from the University of California, said the region is not prepared to deal with the fallout from such an earthquake.
She said that a magnitude 7 or greater earthquake could kill “tens of thousands of people”.
In financial terms, such a quake would likely cause “tens to hundreds of billions of dollars in damage”, she said.
She said: “A magnitude 7 or greater earthquake can happen any time, almost anywhere in the state.
“I don’t expect one to happen tomorrow, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.”
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