Jim Johnson wrote: "You will be in a California earthquake at least once a
year even if you move around."
Now, Jim, we have been having this argument for several years, now. Yes, I
know that as a Weather Fabricator you are biased. But let's get some facts
on the table. These come from the U.S. Geological Survey and your old
outfit, NOAA.
1 If you live in California, you will be in thousands of quakes a year.
But, they are so insignificant you do not even feel them.
2. The estimates that there are millions of earthquakes throughout America
each year. Again, you folks in Virginia, Florida and the rest of the
country simply do not feel them.
3. There have been far more fatalities from tornados than from earthquakes
since they began keeping records.
4. Alaska skews the earthquake records for all of the U.S., having the top
10 earthquakes in magnitude, and 13 of the top 20 (Hawaii, Missouri and
California accounting for the rest.
5. Only 2 people have died in earthquakes since 2000, according to the
USGS, while the National Weather Service claims there have been 3. In the
same period of time, there have been 1,150 deaths in tornados.
6. Since 1955 (a cut-off year used, for whatever reason, by the NWS in
separating data), 4,721 people have met death in tornados, but only 379 in
earthquakes.
If you are interested in annual comparisons:
Year T E
1955 129 1
1956 83
1957 193 1
1958 67
1959 58 28
1960 46
1961 52
1962 30
1963 31
1964 73 128
1965 301 7
1966 98
1967 114
1968 131
1969 66 1
1970 73
1971 159 65
1972 27
1973 89
1974 366
1975 60 2
1976 44
1977 43
1978 53
1979 84
1980 28
1981 24
1982 64
1983 34 2
1984 122
1985 94
1986 15
1987 59 9
1988 32
1989 50 64
1990 53
1991 39 2
1992 39 3
1993 33 2
1994 69 60
1995 30 1
1996 25
1997 67
1998 130
1999 94
2000 40
2001 40
2002 55
2003 54 3
2004 35
2005 38
2006 67
2007 81
2008 125
2009 21
2010 45
2011 549
So go West young man, to California where you will be safe!
Buster Evans
|