MyShake Earthquake Warning App Available in Washington

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A new earthquake-warning app is available for Washington state.

The state said there are already two warning systems in place, but the MyShake app provides a third and possibly quicker option, The Seattle Times reported.

The app launched in 2019 and sends alerts in California and Oregon. It became available in Washington on Wednesday.

The MyShake app can be downloaded for free through the Apple or Google Play app stores.

Seismologists and engineers in California created the app, which was funded by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

“Accessing tools such as the MyShake app will help you, your family and community be better prepared and have a more positive outcome in the event of an earthquake,” Christina Curry, the office’s chief deputy director, said in a news release. “We are pleased to share this resource with our West Coast neighbors.”

Alerts based on information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey’s ShakeAlert earthquake-warning system were previously available through the Wireless Emergency Alert, or WEA, system and on Android phones’ built-in alerting system.

MyShake and the built-in Android system send alerts for earthquakes that surpass magnitude 4.5, while the WEA system will do so for earthquakes above 5.0. The system relies on 1,150 seismometers placed along the West Coast that can pinpoint and relay the location of an earthquake.