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| How San Andreas is boosting California's earthquake industry | How San Andreas is boosting California's earthquake industry |
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| Confronted with the prospect of obliteration in a huge earthquake, Californians have spent years honing an elaborate response: denial. | Confronted with the prospect of obliteration in a huge earthquake, Californians have spent years honing an elaborate response: denial. |
| The big one will happen one day they acknowledge, but somehow – thanks to psychological somersaults – it will not happen to them personally. | The big one will happen one day they acknowledge, but somehow – thanks to psychological somersaults – it will not happen to them personally. |
| So despite finger-wagging warnings from state and local authorities, only about a tenth of Californians who have home insurance policies also have earthquake insurance. And only a tenth know people who have fully prepared. | So despite finger-wagging warnings from state and local authorities, only about a tenth of Californians who have home insurance policies also have earthquake insurance. And only a tenth know people who have fully prepared. |
| Enter Hollywood. The special effects Armageddon that is San Andreas, a blockbuster starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, has prodded some of the state’s movie-goers into nervous chatter and even – gasp – action. | Enter Hollywood. The special effects Armageddon that is San Andreas, a blockbuster starring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, has prodded some of the state’s movie-goers into nervous chatter and even – gasp – action. |
| Related: Battle of Los Angeles: San Andreas just the latest film to kick the crap out of LA | Related: Battle of Los Angeles: San Andreas just the latest film to kick the crap out of LA |
| “It started about three weeks ago when the trailers and billboards came out,” Mike Christensen, the president of EarthquakeStore.com, told the Guardian. “Our business just tripled.” | “It started about three weeks ago when the trailers and billboards came out,” Mike Christensen, the president of EarthquakeStore.com, told the Guardian. “Our business just tripled.” |
| In addition to disaster kits – bundles of sleeping bags, energy bars, candles, water purification systems and other items – the online retailer is also flogging far more early warning kits, which for $34.95 supposedly give you a four to 10-second warning before the main jolt. | In addition to disaster kits – bundles of sleeping bags, energy bars, candles, water purification systems and other items – the online retailer is also flogging far more early warning kits, which for $34.95 supposedly give you a four to 10-second warning before the main jolt. |
| “There has been no earthquake since Nepal so we can only account for it through the movie,” said Christensen. | “There has been no earthquake since Nepal so we can only account for it through the movie,” said Christensen. |
| The California Earthquake Authority, an insurance clearinghouse, has seen traffic to its website approximately double in the past week, said the CEO, Glenn Pomeroy. “The movie is getting people talking. And just to get them talking about earthquakes is a good thing.” | The California Earthquake Authority, an insurance clearinghouse, has seen traffic to its website approximately double in the past week, said the CEO, Glenn Pomeroy. “The movie is getting people talking. And just to get them talking about earthquakes is a good thing.” |
| Seismologists have poured scorn on the science in the $110m film’s plot, calling the 9.1 magnitude quake impossibly strong and the tsunami impossibly high for the San Andreas fault. | Seismologists have poured scorn on the science in the $110m film’s plot, calling the 9.1 magnitude quake impossibly strong and the tsunami impossibly high for the San Andreas fault. |
| Audiences, however, have flocked to see the spectacular images of destruction. Dams, skyscrapers and entire cities crumble while Johnson’s character, a helicopter rescue pilot, tries to save his family. The movie, co-produced by Warner Bros and Village Roadshow, earned $54.6min its debut weekend in the US and Canada. | Audiences, however, have flocked to see the spectacular images of destruction. Dams, skyscrapers and entire cities crumble while Johnson’s character, a helicopter rescue pilot, tries to save his family. The movie, co-produced by Warner Bros and Village Roadshow, earned $54.6min its debut weekend in the US and Canada. |
| Whether it will jolt significant numbers of Californians into making better preparations is unclear. | Whether it will jolt significant numbers of Californians into making better preparations is unclear. |
| The movie is getting people talking. And just to get them talking about earthquakes is a good thing | The movie is getting people talking. And just to get them talking about earthquakes is a good thing |
| California’s last big temblor was the magnitude 6.7 Northridge quake in 1994, which killed 57, injured more than 5,000 and caused more than $20bn in damage. Seismologists say another big one – perhaps a huge one – is almost certain in coming decades. | California’s last big temblor was the magnitude 6.7 Northridge quake in 1994, which killed 57, injured more than 5,000 and caused more than $20bn in damage. Seismologists say another big one – perhaps a huge one – is almost certain in coming decades. |
| A 2008 US Geological Survey report predicted 1,800 deaths and $213bn in damage in the event of a 7.8 quake on the south end of the San Andreas fault. | A 2008 US Geological Survey report predicted 1,800 deaths and $213bn in damage in the event of a 7.8 quake on the south end of the San Andreas fault. |
| Despite nagging from officials, only a small minority of the state’s 38.8 million people have prepared by buying insurance, bolting and strapping shelves and loose household items, storing water and food and having a plan to communicate with friends and relatives if the internet and phone lines go down. | Despite nagging from officials, only a small minority of the state’s 38.8 million people have prepared by buying insurance, bolting and strapping shelves and loose household items, storing water and food and having a plan to communicate with friends and relatives if the internet and phone lines go down. |
| Related: How scientifically accurate is San Andreas? Rock solid or a bit faulty? | |
| “The degree of preparedness is much lower than we would like for people to survive and recover when the earthquake happens,” said Mark Benthien, a spokesman for the Southern California Earthquake Center, a community of scientists at more than 60 institutions worldwide. | “The degree of preparedness is much lower than we would like for people to survive and recover when the earthquake happens,” said Mark Benthien, a spokesman for the Southern California Earthquake Center, a community of scientists at more than 60 institutions worldwide. |
| Preparation requires money, time and effort, and people tend to focus on more pressing, urgent tasks, he said. “There is denial. A sense that it won’t happen to them. ‘Oh, earthquakes happen in other parts of the state, not where we are.’” | Preparation requires money, time and effort, and people tend to focus on more pressing, urgent tasks, he said. “There is denial. A sense that it won’t happen to them. ‘Oh, earthquakes happen in other parts of the state, not where we are.’” |
| Benthien credited San Andreas with educating audiences through the fact that the muscle-bound hero played by Johnson tutored his daughter in preparedness before the catastrophe. “It shows the actions that people can take. Movies of this type don’t normally do that.” | Benthien credited San Andreas with educating audiences through the fact that the muscle-bound hero played by Johnson tutored his daughter in preparedness before the catastrophe. “It shows the actions that people can take. Movies of this type don’t normally do that.” |
| But he said the film’s focus on collapsing buildings masked the reality that most structures survive but still injure people with debris and unsecured household items. Another problem was that a complete apocalypse spawns passivity. “It actually turns people off. If you feel there’s nothing you can do, why bother?” | But he said the film’s focus on collapsing buildings masked the reality that most structures survive but still injure people with debris and unsecured household items. Another problem was that a complete apocalypse spawns passivity. “It actually turns people off. If you feel there’s nothing you can do, why bother?” |
| Pomeroy, of the California Earthquake Authority, disagreed. “People are smarter than that. They know it’s Hollywood.” | Pomeroy, of the California Earthquake Authority, disagreed. “People are smarter than that. They know it’s Hollywood.” |
| Lucy Jones, a high-profile California seismologist, took a red carpet picture with Johnson at the premiere and live-tweeted observations during the screening. “Great emotional message – not knowing if your family is ok is hard. Do you have a family communication plan?” | Lucy Jones, a high-profile California seismologist, took a red carpet picture with Johnson at the premiere and live-tweeted observations during the screening. “Great emotional message – not knowing if your family is ok is hard. Do you have a family communication plan?” |
| As part of the film’s marketing, Johnson, who has 8.75 million Twitter followers, has promoted official “drop, cover and hold on” safety advice in a video for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. | As part of the film’s marketing, Johnson, who has 8.75 million Twitter followers, has promoted official “drop, cover and hold on” safety advice in a video for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. |
| Such celebrity endorsement was invaluable, said Pomeroy: “We just got a fantastic new spokesman.” | Such celebrity endorsement was invaluable, said Pomeroy: “We just got a fantastic new spokesman.” |
| He said he was looking forward to buying popcorn and watching the fictional quake as cinematic entertainment. “The difference will be that when it ends the lights will come on and we’ll all go home. But in real life it’ll be horrible.” | He said he was looking forward to buying popcorn and watching the fictional quake as cinematic entertainment. “The difference will be that when it ends the lights will come on and we’ll all go home. But in real life it’ll be horrible.” |