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America’s most volatile fault line overdue for earthquake that could devastate millions: ‘Tectonic time bomb’ (only 4.74 years left)
NY Post ^ | 4/29/26 | Ben Cost

Posted on 04/29/2026 8:42:06 AM PDT by Libloather

This has scientists quaking in their boots.

Researchers have found that one of the US’s most dangerous fault lines is overdue for an earthquake, potentially threatening millions of people across California, per an alarming study in the journal Seismological Research Letters.

This terrifying tremor could “cause extensive damage to such a dense population zone,” wrote the team from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), in a statement.

Part of the massive San Andreas Fault Line, the Hayward Fault Line extends 74 miles through major Bay Area hubs, including Berkeley, Oakland and Fremont, an area that’s collectively home to around 8 million people.

This fault is of particular concern as it regularly generates magnitude 7 Earthquakes — more powerful than the 1989 Loma Prieta quake that killed 63 people and injured 3,757 in the Bay Area.

If one of these earthquakes were to occur today, it could potentially kill 800 people and injure up to 18,000, per a previous US Geological Survey report called the “HayWired Scenario.”

While the last event to occur was in 1868, scientists have calculated that Hayward ruptures every 95 to 183 years, meaning we’re overdue for a seismic event.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Hayward has a 14.3% chance of a 6.7 magnitude or larger seismic event by 2034 and a 33% chance before 2043, making Hayward one of the most hazardous fault lines in the region.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Local News; Outdoors; Science
KEYWORDS: bayarea; bencost; berkeley; bomb; california; earthquake; earthquakes; fremont; haywardfault; newyorkpost; oakland; quake; quakes; sanandreasfault; tectonic
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To: kawhill

OH NOES! Will grabems choo choo be okay?


41 posted on 04/29/2026 10:02:12 AM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? On hold! Enlisted USN 1967 proudly. 🚫💉! 🇮🇱🙏! Winning currently!)
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To: Libloather
Everyone got their "Clickbait Bingo" card?

Look for these key words and phrases:

could
potentially
likely
might
maybe
conceivably

Have fun!

42 posted on 04/29/2026 10:19:06 AM PDT by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: Libloather

New York Post reminding us that it is still a tabloid at heard, although these stories are useless without an artist’s rendition of the cities that would be completely leveled by this “Tectonic time bomb.”


43 posted on 04/29/2026 10:19:18 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard (When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.)
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To: Libloather

Wait till New Madrid goes off again.

L


44 posted on 04/29/2026 10:23:52 AM PDT by Lurker ( Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: Libloather

Trump’s fault.


45 posted on 04/29/2026 10:27:59 AM PDT by ChessExpert (Infidels of the world unite against the evil that is Islam.)
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To: Libloather

The Hayward Fault is a 45-mile-long, highly active fault running through densely populated areas of the East Bay, including Fremont, Hayward, San Leandro, Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito, and Richmond. It is considered one of the most dangerous faults in the U.S. due to the extensive urban development directly on top of its path.

Here are key facilities and buildings that lie in the immediate vicinity or directly on the Hayward fault trace:

University of California, Berkeley
Memorial Stadium: The fault runs directly under the eastern side of the stadium, with creep causing visible separations in the concrete walls.
Greek Theater: Located just a few yards off the fault trace.
Residence Halls: Several halls in the vicinity of the stadium and Greek Theater are on or adjacent to the fault.
Campus Buildings: The Hayward fault cuts across the eastern part of the campus, impacting buildings such as the Hearst Mining Building and near South Hall.

Regional Infrastructure & Landmarks
Claremont Hotel (Berkeley): The fault passes near the hotel, particularly notable around the Stonewall Road area.

Lake Temescal Regional Recreation Area: The fault cuts through this park, with visible creep affecting park roads and buildings.

Oakland Zoo: The fault runs through the zoo, specifically near the otter tank and a bear pen.

Chabot Space & Science Center: Situated near the fault line in Joaquin Miller Park.

Montclair Village: The fault passes through the intersection of Moraga Avenue and La Salle Avenue.

Contra Costa College (San Pablo): Fault traces are visible in the patio and pavement near the Campus Circle.

Downtown Hayward & Residential Areas
Mission Boulevard (Hayward): The fault runs parallel and within a few hundred feet of Mission Boulevard for much of its length through the city.

Downtown Hayward: Numerous cracks and street offsets are visible in downtown areas east of Mission Blvd.

Warren Hall (CSU East Bay): This building was formerly located directly on the fault, leading to its controlled demolition in 2013 due to seismic risk.

Hazard Mapping Resources
USGS Interactive Map: The USGS Hayward Fault Map and Tour can be downloaded to view in Google Earth for precise locations of fault creep, trenches, and affected infrastructure.
Alquist-Priolo Zone Maps: The California Geological Survey has 12 maps that define where building on the fault is prohibited.
MTC/ABAG Hazard Viewer: An interactive tool to view earthquake hazards (liquefaction, fault zones) overlaid with infrastructure.

Note: The fault often moves through creep, causing gradual damage to roads, pipes, and structures. A 33% chance of a major (M6.7+) earthquake on the Hayward Fault exists before 2043, which poses significant risks to the surrounding infrastructure.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (.gov)


46 posted on 04/29/2026 10:35:12 AM PDT by faithhopecharity ("Politicians aren't born, they're excreted." Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 to 43 BCE))
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To: Libloather

WE HAVE OUR OWN SHARE OF QUAKES HERE IN NEVADA.

HAD A 5.7 ON THE 13th OF APRIL A 3.47 on the 20th & a 4,73 on the 22nd.

THE 5.7 WAS A HARD JOLT—FELT LIKE A TRUCK HIT THE HOUSE.

THE OTHERS WERE ROLLERS-—UP & DOWN.

USGS HAS SAID THEY WILL NOT BE SURPRISED IF 6 ++ HITS THIS AREA SOON. JUST GREAT!!!

I AM IN SILVER SPRINGS,NEV, ABOUT 52 MILES SE OF RENO-—35 MILES EAST OF CARSON CITY.

I WENT THRU THE 1971 QUAKE IN SO CALIF. THAT WAS ENOUGH FOR ME.

THE RISK OF QUAKES ADDS ANOTHER DIMENSION TO “DATA CENTERS” IMO——HOW SENSITIVE ARE ALL THOSE SERVERS TO SUDDEN MOTION?

POSSIBILITY OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF SUDDEN JUNK STATUS????


47 posted on 04/29/2026 11:05:44 AM PDT by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: PAR35

THE MADRID FAULT-—HAD THE MISSISSIPPI RUNNING BACKWARDS


48 posted on 04/29/2026 11:06:58 AM PDT by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: Vermont Lt

Not to mention the Mississippi River flowing backwards.


49 posted on 04/29/2026 11:29:34 AM PDT by madison10
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To: ChildOfThe60s
Western Kentucky has the Land Between the Lakes and if the New Madrid caused those dams to collapse it would wash away a crap ton of people

To say nothing of bigfoot and dogman.

50 posted on 04/29/2026 12:05:04 PM PDT by Nachoman (Proudly oppressing people of color since 1957.)
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To: Libloather

They won’t be missed. If only there were similar faultlines around Minnesota, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, NYC...


51 posted on 04/29/2026 12:44:31 PM PDT by mikeus_maximus ("It's a republic, madam, if you can keep it.)
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To: Libloather

I hope the normal people and non-Democrats (but I repeat myself) move out before So CA slides into the sea.


52 posted on 04/29/2026 1:16:02 PM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Finish the damned WALL! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH! )
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To: Sicon

I’m concerned about the scientists quaking in their boots.


53 posted on 04/29/2026 2:11:28 PM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: Seaplaner

“Cascadia Subduction Zone, a megathrust fault just off the coast of Oregon and Washington States, and is capable of producing an earthquake exceeding M 9.0.”

Which very likely would set off one or more the Cascadia Volcanoes. That’s 12 or 13 volcanoes (depending on what you read), from Mount Baker in Washington State through Lassen Peak in California. Included are Mounts Rainier, St. Helens, and Shasta. Seven of those 12 or 13 have erupted in the last 200 years. Would probsbly be a very large impact on US life as we know it.

https://cascadiabioregion.org/volcanoes-of-cascadia


54 posted on 04/29/2026 2:40:11 PM PDT by FrogMom (Time marches on....)
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To: Vermont Lt

“If New Madrid goes again, St Louis to Memphis will be in ruins.”

Definitely.

I wonder what the effects would be in cities like Nashville and Little Rock? I have to think that the shockwaves would extend out pretty far from the actual fault line.

Bridges collapsed. Highways destroyed. Electrical grid severely damaged. Railroads out of commission.

And I haven’t even gone as far as to civilian dame to cities and towns. Hospital out of commission, law enforcement disrupted, etc.

Yikes!


55 posted on 04/29/2026 2:55:31 PM PDT by MplsSteve
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To: PAR35

I should have added an /s/ to my comment, indicating it was a sarcastic remark.


56 posted on 04/30/2026 4:17:00 AM PDT by redfreedom (The Forth Estate is the Fifth Column.)
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To: Libloather

Get a load of the author...

https://nypost.com/author/ben-cost/

Okaaaay...


57 posted on 04/30/2026 4:33:40 AM PDT by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away! 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿)
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To: LukeL

Sometime around 1990 the police station building in Fremont’s Central Park was razed because the Hayward Fault creep was slowly tearing the building in half.


58 posted on 04/30/2026 4:40:28 AM PDT by glennaro (2026: The year to crush the growing internal communism and jihadism in our free Republic)
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