One year after public alerting via WEA and cell phones was available in Washington State, ShakeAlert continues to evolve. More accurate estimates of magnitude and shaking levels have lead to more confidence in triggering automated actions when strong shaking is imminent.
What changes in ShakeAlert have been implemented and what is in the works? How is ShakeAlert helping to protect critical infrastructure today?
Bill Steele has directed the Educational Outreach and Communications Program for the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) at the University of Washington, since 1993. He works closely with news reporters and filmmakers to provide hazards information and coordinate scientist involvement in development accurate and interesting news reports and documentaries.
Bill also serves as the Washington State Regional Coordinator for ShakeAlert. He collaborates with companies and public agencies to identify opportunities to implement automated loss reduction actions triggered by ShakeAlert. He is also working to document how EEW can be used to reduce injuries and economic losses during an earthquake and speed recovery.