Today is the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake that shook the Bay Area, killed 68 people, destroyed hundreds of buildings and homes, and started massive fires. The 6.9 tembler also interuppted the World Series that was just getting going between the Giants and the A's. Today, thousands of people are signed up to participate in the Great California Earthquake Drill this morning, practicing the three part process of "Drop, Cover, and Hold On". (photo courtesy SFist)
The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services says earthquake early warning alerts will publicly available statewide starting today. The warnings produced by the ShakeAlert system will be pushed through a smartphone app called MyShake and the same wireless notification system that issues Amber Alerts. The system's statewide debut coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake that ravaged the Bay Area. (photo courtesy Triple M)
PG&E has released their report on reasons for the power shut offs last week. The company says they considered many factors to protect the public from potential wildfires ignited by PG&E's equipment due to weather. Sonoma County experienced the strongest winds in the Bay Area with gusts up to 77 mph. The National Weather Service issued multiple Red Flag Warnings that lasted from Wednesday afternoon until Friday morning. PG&E has documented over 100 incidents of damage where wildfire could have occured if the lines had been energized. (photo courtesy PG&E)
Sonoma County wants to know about your experience with the recent power shut offs. The Economic Development Board has organized a survey to hear about the impact on your business and the economy. You can access the survey by going to edb@sonoma-county.org (photo courtesy sonomacounty.golocal.coop)
Sonoma County employees relied on their own maps to determine where and how many residents would be affected by PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoff last week, and they used their own data to contact vulnerable individuals in the county. According to a preliminary report by the county's Department of Emergency Management presented yesterday, officials layed out PG&E's shortocmings and failures of the shut offs that affected 195,000 in the county. (photo courtesy Patch)
Today, job seekers and those with jobs to fill will converge at the Doubletree in Rohnert Park. From 3pm - 6pm the Sonoma Job Connections Job Fair will be open, and there will be hundreds of recruiters available to meet with people looking for employment opportunities from entry level positions to advanced , and career development sessions. (photo courtesy Mother Jones)
Today, SMART officials will be deciding on whether or not to advance a proposed ballot measure that would extent a quarter cent sales tax, that will help fund the rail system. The measure would create a 30 year extension of the tax, to refinance growing debt. Without it, SMART might have to cut up to $9 million a year from train service and its workforce. (photo courtesy SMART)
