California may see a big earthquake: Here’s the least likely area in the state to feel it
(FOX40.COM) — California has more damaging earthquakes than anywhere else in America. While there are many predictions that a “big one” is on the way, there’s a place in the Golden State where a person is least likely to feel it.
• Video Above: Risk of an earthquake in Sacramento
Earthquakes, in simple terms, are caused by faults, and most Californians live within 30 miles of one, according to the California Earthquake Authority. The probability of feeling an earthquake increases while moving closer to active faults, however, earthquakes can hit at anytime, anywhere.
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•These are the fault lines in Northern California
•California’s north coast has a long history of strong earthquakes
•This is how to prepare for and respond to an earthquake
The third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF3) report shows that there’s a 99% chance that a big one (magnitude 6) will hit within the next 30 years (beginning in 2014), and a 75% chance of an M7. For context, most damage-causing earthquakes have a magnitude of 4 or 5.
But there’s a place in California where one might be able to avoid damaging shakeups – and that’s the state’s capital city.
“If you love California but you hate earthquakes, you’re actually living in the best place to avoid that,” said FOX40’s chief meteorologist, Adam Epstein. “Around Sacramento and the Central Valley, we have the lowest earthquake risk out of the entire state.”
He added that because of the San Andreas Fault, the highest risk of an earthquake is along California’s coastline from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
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