'We actually have the most advanced technology in the country in terms of helping people get notifications even before shaking starts. And this is one of the biggest events we’ve actually had since the system launched.' BayArea earthquake California
shook much of the Bay Area Tuesday morning. The epicenter was near San Jose.
Ferguson said the alert gave people 2-18 seconds advanced notice before they felt any shaking. It was sent out just a fraction of a second after some of the state's about 800 sensors detected shaking deep below the ground. The cell phone alert is just the first step. The next generation of this technology is to create automated systems to save lives.
"I had to just recognize that it was happening and then yeah, OK it’s happening. And then you go through this process of how bad is it, how severe is it. Is it a roller? Is it violent?" said John Harmon. "If it was you know 6, 7, probably a little bit of a different story." "No, because I don’t know what I could do about it. If it’s happening, it’s happening." Harmon said if it's happening he'll take cover or get under a desk.