West Coast Democrats want to be ready if The Big One hits

Thirty-two House Democrats want backing from President Barack Obama to spend another $16 million on a system that would give early warnings to the public when an earthquake hits.

In a letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget, the lawmakers said that such a system would help the West Coast “be prepared for a catastrophic earthquake.”

“We know it is ‘when’ and not ‘if’ – they have the potential to be the costliest disasters the United States has ever faced,” the letter said.

Three Democrats led the effort: Derek Kilmer of Washington state, Adam Schiff of California and Peter DeFazio of Oregon.

The system, called ShakeAlert, involves researchers and scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, Caltech, UC-Berkeley, the University of Washington and the University of Oregon.

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