ShakeAlert Launches In Washington: Here's How It Works

WASHINGTON — Washington's earthquake early warning system officially launches Tuesday, completing ShakeAlert's West Coast rollout after years in the making.

In Washington, the system is managed jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. The early warnings will alert residents a few seconds before shaking begins, helping reduce the risk for injuries and protecting critical infrastructure.

In March, state leaders welcomed the system as an important piece of a larger preparedness plan.

"Nothing can replace families having an emergency plan in place and being at least two weeks ready," said Gov. Jay Inslee. "We all know an earthquake could strike at any time. An Earthquake Early Warning system could provide the critical time needed for Washingtonians to drop, cover and hold on."

The system does not forecast earthquakes but can rapidly detect tremors as they occur, providing quick estimates of a quake's size, location and shake potential. Notifications will arrive through cell phones as a wireless emergency alert, and their functionality will likely extend to third-party apps after the system goes live, officials said.

According to state officials, having even just a few seconds to prepare can prove critical.

"Since the majority of earthquake-related injuries are caused by people getting hit by falling objects or falling down while moving during the shaking, seconds of warning will let people take protective action before shaking begins, reducing the chance of injuries," the Washington Military Department wrote. "The system also has the potential to automatically close water valves to protect water supplies, lift fire station doors so first responders can get vehicles and equipment out, slow down trains so they don’t derail and even warn hospitals to halt surgeries, among many other capabilities. Dozens of pilot projects in Washington are already testing this technology to reduce earthquake damage."

Even as the system goes live, there is much work left to do. The USGS will work with state and university partners, including the University of Washington, to bring more seismometers online through 2025. Right now, officials estimate Washington's sensor network is just 65 percent complete.

Aside from the hardware, more upgrades are planned to boost the effectiveness of notifications.

"Additional work with alert distribution partners is needed to improve the delivery speed of alerts to mobile phones for all earthquakes," officials wrote. "Algorithms that estimate earthquake size and shaking continue to be tested and improved to ensure the system’s performance in megathrust events (i.e. the 'Big One' Cascadia Subduction Zone)."

Residents are encouraged to verify that their phones have "Wireless Emergency Alerts" activated.

Here's how to do it:

For iPhones:

• Tap “Settings” > “Notifications”
• Scroll to the bottom of the screen.
• Under “Government Alerts” tap “Emergency Alerts” and “Public Safety Alerts” to turn them on or off.
• If emergency alerts are turned on, the circle will be on the right-hand side of the switch. You will get WEAs on your iPhone and no further action is needed.
• If emergency alerts are turned off, the circle will be on the left-hand side of the switch. You will need to tap the switch to put it in the “on” position. You will now get WEAs on your iPhone and no further action is needed.
• See a video demonstrating this on an iPhone.

For newer Android phones, the exact location may vary:

• Officials recommend that you use the search function in “Settings” to find “Emergency Alerts” or “public safety messages."
• If you can’t find “Emergency Alerts” by searching in “settings” it may be within your Messaging app, instead.
• Make sure all alerts are turned on (i.e. “Extreme threats," “Severe threats,” and “Public safety messages”).
• If alerts are turned on, the circle will be on the right-hand side of the switch. You will get WEAs on your Android phone and no further action is needed.
• If alerts are turned off, the circle will be on the left-hand side of the switch. You will need to tap the switch to put it in the “on” position. You will now get WEAs on your Android phone and no further action is needed.
• For additional questions, please refer to your mobile phone carrier and/or mobile phone manufacturer’s website for additional information.

Residents can learn more about activating alerts on the state and county level on the Emergency Management Division website.