California has more earthquakes that hurt people than any other state in the US. A “big one” is said to be coming, but there’s one spot in California where people are least likely to feel it.
The California Earthquake Authority says that most Californians live within 30 miles of a fault that can cause an earthquake. Moving closer to busy faults makes it more likely that you will feel an earthquake, but they can happen anywhere and at any time.
It’s almost certain that a big earthquake (magnitude 6) will happen in the next 30 years, starting in 2014. The third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3) study says that the chance is 99% for an M6 and 75% for an M7. To give you some background, most earthquakes that cause damage are magnitude 4 or 5.
Though, in California, the state’s main city might be a good place to stay out of troublesome changes.
“If you love California but hate earthquakes, you live in the best place to avoid them,” Adam Epstein, FOX40’s top meteorologist, said. “We have the lowest risk of earthquakes in the whole state out here in Sacramento and the Central Valley.”
He also said that the San Andreas Fault makes the coast of California between San Francisco and Los Angeles the most likely place for an earthquake.
