There’s one April Fool's Day prank that officials with U.S. Geological Survey aren’t laughing about.
A hoax letter is circulating on the Internet claiming Southern California residents should brace themselves for a 7.4 magnitude earthquake.
USGS issued an official statement on their Facebook page Monday night, warning people about the alert marked with the USGS letterhead:
“USGS is aware of a letter circulating on the Internet that uses our logo and warns of an impending sizable earthquake in Southern California. USGS had no part in this letter or any alleged alert. USGS does not predict earthquakes. USGS distributes reliable and timely scientific information on earthquakes and makes it all available to the public.”
Understandably, many California residents are worried about “The Big One” hitting after a magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck La Habra on Friday and a score of aftershocks followed.
It’s important to note, USGS says it does not predict earthquakes.
Seismologists did say on Sunday, however, that a magnitude 7.5 earthquake along the same fault line from Friday and Saturday’s quakes could kill 3,000 to 18,000 people and cause up to $250 billion in damage.
USGS advised residents to check its website for information after an earthquake.
Here's the complete statement from the agency:
Local
"USGS is aware of a letter circulating on the Internet that uses our logo and warns of an impending sizable earthquake in Southern California. USGS had no part in this letter or any alleged alert. USGS does not predict earthquakes. USGS distributes reliable and timely scientific information on earthquakes and makes it all available to the public. The message of being prepared is always valuable."
