Web Gives Instant Access To Quake InformationWeb Gives Instant Access To Quake Information

It's been some time since we've felt a sizable earthquake on the Southern California coastline that made the neighbor's wind chimes ring loud and clear, and the 20-foot palm trees sway without wind.

The earthquake Sunday morning reaffirmed by belief on where to go when you need instant, up-to-the-minute information. While the televisions stations continued to broadcast their Sunday morning regularly scheduled programs, I was able to find out where and when the earthquake occurred seconds after it happened.

I did this by turning on my computer and typing into a Google search engine "southern California earthquake." Instantly, I learned a 5.6 earthquake occurred six miles east/southeast of Anza, Calif., on June 12 at 8:41. [USGS: Report An Earthquake: California] Anza is in the desert. It's on the way from Newport Beach to Palm Springs.

Yesterday's shake didn't put me into a state of panic. I've lived in California for many years and have experienced my share of earthquakes. I just found it amazing how quickly you can gain information from reliable sources on the Web.