The developers at Early Warning Labs created an app called QuakeAlertUSA. The goal of this app is to warn people 60 seconds in advance of an earthquake. However, there are some complaints.
Back in 2019, a series of earthquakes rocked California ranging from 6.4 to 7.1, which cost major problems in the state, and citizens are not happy because they were expecting the app will alert them for any earthquakes but did the exact opposite.
QuakeAlertUSA is supposed to alert earthquakes with magnitude three or higher and gives people a 60-second head start to find safety or go to safe zones.
Why No Alarm?
The reason is as simple as it is both disappointing-- not every part of the area can be covered with sensors. The epicenter of the earthquakes was 100 miles north of Los Angeles, and the sensors there detect only a small portion of the quake. The sensors, although sensitive, still need to be very close to the epicenter to give accurate info to the system to prompt the app to notify the users.
Negative Reviews by the People
Android users have been giving critical feedback to the developers as of late, and it's alarming to read that the issues are still there, and so far, only a little improvement is showing. They complain about "not ready for primetime, something as important as this app wants to establish if not tested out by all manner of models shouldn't be released to the public yet." Also, there are many users who can't get past certain portions of the setup. Lastly, problems in the app itself that it just freezes and crashes, which is not a good sign that the app is ready for use yet.
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QuakeAlertUSA: Additional Info
QuakeAlertUSA is developed by Early Warning Labs, and this app will alert anyone who has it downloaded that an imminent earthquake is about to happen and will give the user ample time to prepare because every second literally counts.
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Run quake simulations inside the app to get an idea of what a warning sound will sound like so you can differentiate it with your normal notifications. Ranges from moderate, strong, very strong, severe, violent, extreme). With all those modes, you best be prepared to know each and everything, but regardless of the notification, always make sure to prepare for the worst as earthquakes have a tendency to escalate or deescalate.
Earthquakes are some of the most devastating natural disasters that humans have to deal with thankfully, not on a daily basis. Scientists have been able to develop an early warning system. This will only give people a very short window to respond quickly, but when the ground starts shaking, there is very little you can do. So again, QuakeAlertUSA has a great idea, but is it ready for the responsibilities with so many bugs and problems?
