Earthquakes are deadly natural phenomena who caused hundreds of thousands dead at once in different parts of the world. California, located on the earthquake-prone “Ring of Fire,” which encompasses land masses bordering the Pacific Ocean, is also home to the San Andreas Fault. This fault represents the meeting point of two tectonic plates, which creates high levels of seismic activity.

According to the United States Geological Surveyscientists have no way of predicting when and where major earthquakes will occur. The best experts can do is calculate the probability of a significant earthquake occurring in a particular area over a period of years.

Strong earthquakes can cause devastating damage, especially if they strike densely populated areas. Forbes said an earthquake called “The Great” has a magnitude of at least 7.8.

What was the last “big earthquake” and when do experts expect the next catastrophic earthquake?

By this definition, the earthquake that hit Alaska in 2021 falls into this category. There was a magnitude of 8.2but fortunately, it caused no deaths and no serious damage. He is credited with the limited effects of the event taking place off the coast of an area with a small population.

It’s another matter when we talk about urbanized areas that house a dense population. A scientific forecast published 10 years ago indicated that there was almost a 50% chance that at least one earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.5 will hit California in the next 30 years. THE United States Geological Survey says the threat of a major earthquake hitting the Bay Area is real and that the eventual catastrophic event “is likely to occur before 2032.”

As scientists expect fearsome earthquakes in the region every 150 to 200 yearsit seems The Big One has been a long time coming and could appear at any time without warning.

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake destroyed 80 percent of the city and more than 3,000 people died.