California Earthquake Puts Early Warning System to the Test

California Earthquake Puts Early Warning System to the Test
A mobile phone customer looks at an earthquake warning application on an iPhone in Los Angeles on Jan. 3, 2019. Richard Vogel/AP Photo
The Associated Press
Updated:
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SACRAMENTO, Calif.—As sensors picked up the first signs of a strong earthquake jolting the Northern California coast, an alert was blasted to 3 million smartphone users telling them to “drop, cover, hold on.” It was hailed as the biggest test yet of the warning system since its public launch.

But the people most rattled by the magnitude 6.4 earthquake early Tuesday said the alert didn’t give them enough time to take cover as the temblor shook homes off foundations, knocked out power and water to thousands, and injured more than a dozen people.