An experimental early warning system developed by BSL issued a warning 10 seconds before the 6.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the Napa region on August 24 , 2014 . Such a warning system could potentially give people time to take cover in the event of a quake , preventing injuries caused by falling debris , automatically stopping trains or shutting off gas lines . The system , developed in conjunction with the United States Geological Survey ( USGS ) , the California Institute of Technology and the University of Washington , will eventually cover the entire West Coast . The system would cost $ 80 million in funding to run for five years in California , or $ 120 million for the whole West Coast . In July 2015 , USGS awarded $ 4 million in funding to the project partners to turn the current ShakeAlert prototype into a more robust system .
6.0 magnitude earthquake
2014 South Napa earthquake
Berkeley Seismological Laboratory