SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A magnitude 4.4 earthquake rocked Los Angeles Monday, but the culprit wasn't the San Andreas Fault, which we usually associate with earthquakes in Southern California. Instead, it was the Puente Hills Fault, an entirely different area that may pose a larger earthquake risk.
The Puente Hills Fault stretches 25 miles, from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena and northern Orange County.
Geologist Dr. Pat Abbott says that location could be a problem if that fault produces a bigger earthquake.
"The site is a bad site geologically," said Dr. Abbott. "You're sitting on top of a fault that's gonna lift up the old ground, and we have a lot of old, brittle concrete buildings sitting on top of this. So the potential for a disaster, oh it's bad."
The U.S. Geological Survey says if there was a major earthquake on the Puente Hills Fault, it could be one of the worst natural disasters the country's ever seen, killing as many as 18,000 people and causing more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.
An earthquake that size could also shake up San Diego.
When can we expect a giant earthquake like that? Geologists don't know.
"What we know about when a large earthquake could come is zero, zip, nada," said Dr. Abbott. "Now this year, we've been having a lot more of the magnitude 4.4 earthquakes than we've had in the past few decades. And they do not tell us whether a big one is getting closer."
So, if an earthquake happens, drop, cover and hold on. But until then, the best thing you can do is prepare.
"It's not the earthquake for most people. It's what falls on you or is thrown at you," said Dr. Abbott. "So look at your house. Secure things against the wall. Or things you have up high that are heavy, put them down closer to the floor. Rearrange things, so if things start falling, they won't hurt you."
Dr. Abbott says one of the best places to start preparing your home is your bedroom. You can also use all of those safety tips at work.
Click here for more tips to prepare for earthquakes.
