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California warns of possible stronger quake after earthquake swarm in Salton Sea

By Shawn Price
California issued an earthquake advisory for Southern California, warning residents and officials there was an increased risk of a major quake through next week. The advisory comes days after a swarm of small quakes near the Salton Sea in Southern California. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
California issued an earthquake advisory for Southern California, warning residents and officials there was an increased risk of a major quake through next week. The advisory comes days after a swarm of small quakes near the Salton Sea in Southern California. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

SACRAMENTO, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The California Office of Emergency Services has issued an earthquake advisory for Southern California following a swarm of small quakes in the region earlier this week.

The advisory warned residents and officials in Ventura, San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Kern and Imperial counties that there was a greater possibility of a major earthquake through Oct. 4

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"California is earthquake country. We must always be prepared and not let our guard down," said Director Mark Ghilarducci. "The threat of an earthquake on the San Andreas Fault hasn't gone away, so this is another important opportunity for us to revisit our emergency plans and learn what steps you need to take if a significant earthquake hits."

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The advisory also comes a few weeks before a quake preparedness drill Oct. 20.

The California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council -- an advisory committee of earthquake experts that analyzes seismic data -- said the swarm increased the likelihood of a major quake by up to 1 percent. A small increase, but worth public officials taking heed.

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