On May 31, Ojai was hit by a 3.6-magnitude quake. Two quakes of similar magnitude struck under El Sereno in East Los Angeles, and another three occurred near Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.

Generally, they occur when the plates, which comprise the Earth’s crust, slip past one another. The area where they slip is referred to as the fault or fault plane. Following this, seismic waves extend outwards from the fault, causing the planet to shake violently. 

The real dangers are those who become trapped in the buildings as they begin to crumble under the pressure. Flooding and landslides can also become major problems during earthquakes. 

Conversely, certain places in the United States are relatively prone to earthquakes, and the state of California is no stranger to seismic waves, experiencing over 10,000 events each year. 

However, around two or three times each year, larger seismic waves are sent out from quakes, which have the capacity to severely damage homes and other larger structures. As of recent, however, the earthquakes have been fairly mild. 

This quake caused an estimated $20 billion in damage and killed over 57 people; they raised concerns about the potential arrival of the so-called Big One in a state with numerous active fault lines.

This fault line is the cause behind some of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in California. 

The US Geological Survey estimates there is a 60 percent chance of a magnitude 6.7 or greater quake hitting the Los Angeles area in the next 30 years.

So, do the recent earthquakes signal something larger? Are they just routine in a state that experiences about 35 quakes a day?

This fault angles like a ramp, coming closest to the surface near the LA campus of the University of Southern California.

The Newport Beach-Costa Mesa quakes occurred near the Compton thrust fault, which could raise the LA River by up to 5 feet in a strong quake, severely impacting city sewer systems.

Scientists emphasize that instead of focusing solely on the magnitude of the largest quakes, it’s crucial to consider the potential damage to densely populated areas. The San Andreas Fault, despite its notoriety, largely runs through sparsely populated desert regions.

“Because large earthquakes don’t happen very frequently, many people don’t think about them often or fully comprehend the risks,” said Pomeroy during an interview with Forbes. 

“In some respects, the ‘big one’ in terms of damages and deaths would be ones running through town rather than one that’s a long distance away,” 

He also mentioned the 1994 Northridge earthquake, explaining that all were below the 8.0 magnitude considered in “Big One” scenarios but still caused significant damage.

“Unfortunately, earthquake prediction remains an extremely challenging endeavor. While scientists can monitor fault lines and detect patterns of seismic activity, they cannot predict exact earthquakes reliably, it said. 

According to Caltech Science Exchange, “Probabilities can be calculated based on the average rate of past seismic activity in a region. This technique is particularly useful in regions where earthquakes have been recorded by seismographs, which first came into wide use in the early 1900s.”

Achieving a higher level of precise prediction is considered the “holy grail” of earthquake science, according to University of Washington seismologist Harold Tobin.

“Science has not yet found a way to make actionable earthquake predictions,” Tobin wrote last year.

“A useful prediction would specify a time, a place, and a magnitude – and all of these would need to be fairly specific, with enough advance notice to be worthwhile,” he said. 

“Although earthquake insurance purchases have gone up, there is still not enough earthquake insurance penetration in California,” Pomeroy says. “Because large, damaging earthquakes don’t happen very often, many people don’t perceive the risks or take steps to be prepared.”

“That still means somewhere north of 80% of the homes in the state will not have insurance funds to make repairs after an earthquake. That’s not a good thing,” says Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a consumer advocacy group.

Meanwhile, individual citizens should have emergency kits ready and follow safety protocols, such as dropping to their knees, covering their head and neck, and holding onto something stable when an earthquake starts.

Taking part in the Great ShakeOut earthquake drill, which occurs every year in mid-October, can also better prepare residents of the state for larger earthquakes.