VashonBePrepared Weekly Newsletter

Newsletter #162 Friday, December 20, 2024: (full newsletter)

‘Tis the Season of Millions of Batteries
Lithium-Ion Batteries Can Catch Fire and Even Explode
Your Quick Checklist for Battery Safety

Esta es la Epoca de uso de Millones de Baterias
Las Baterias de Litio pueden Encenderse y hasta Explotar
Lista de Seguridad para el Uso de Baterias

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VashonBePrepared is a coalition of some 10 disaster preparedness organizations on Vashon-Maury Island in Washington's Puget Sound region. We work closely with local and county organizations.

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Latest Updates

West Coast to Get Free Early Earthquake Warnings

Dec 1

Written by:
12/1/2014 9:32 AM  RssIcon

According to the LA Times, the entire west coast should get access to the first generation of early earthquake warnings as early as next year. Dependent on congress’ upcoming vote, the budget would be some $16 million annually.

The new system would be the first generation, after a bare-bones prototype system has proven the concept over the last year or so in a limited set of locations. California would go from 200 to 400 sensors while 275 sensors are apparently all that are currently planned for Oregon and Washington.

Specialized systems have been in place for years. For instance the Alaskan Way Viaduct automatically is closed on an early warning system installed in June 2011.

Based on a distributed set of sensors, the warnings travel at nearly the speed of light - while the seismic waves travel closer to the speed of sound. That adds up to a minute of advance warning for locations 150 miles away from the epicenter, and even 5 seconds of advance warnings allows elevators to brake, fire departments to open their doors, and other automated systems to kick in – potentially saving hundreds of millions through out a region.

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