At 11 a.m. Thursday, cellphones across San Diego County started sounding off with a loud tone used for emergency alerts. It was part of a test of the California Earthquake Early Warning System, also known as ShakeAlert.
The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services together with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the United States Geological Survey will be conducting a test at 11 a.m. on June 27 using the Wireless Emergency Alert system. The test will affect all mobile phones in the county area and will evaluate if the system could be effectively used for the California Earthquake Early Warning, also called a ShakeAlert.
If you are ever in a situation where a Tsunami Advisory or Warning is issued, you’ll be glad to have watched a video created by three tenth graders for the County of San Diego’s Office of Emergency Services Tsunami Preparedness Week contest. It tells you what you need to do to survive.
If your property sustained damage during the storms that struck the week of Valentine’s Day, the County would like your help estimating the cost for our region.
The Anchorage, Alaska 7.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami warning, which was later canceled, reminds us all to be prepared for these kinds of unpredictable disasters. Having a disaster plan and supplies and practicing your response with your family could mean escaping serious harm.
San Diego County area fire chiefs are preparing for a potentially dangerous peak fire season due to historically dry fuel conditions. Residents are reminded to take all precautions and be ready to evacuate if needed.
In a local emergency, people who don’t speak English or Spanish may not understand urgent information put out by government agencies and media. This is a challenge faced by public health departments and local emergency managers throughout the country, but San Diego County is trying out a solution by partnering with a broad network of trusted community organizations.
