CAT WISE:

And in Japan, where thousands of seismic sensors are installed around the country, this is what some TV viewers saw in 2011 right before their large quake hit.

But, in Long Beach, California, residents have had no warning system, even though the area, home to the second busiest container port in the country, oil refineries and a major airport, sits on top of one of the most seismically active regions in the world. In 1933, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit Long Beach, causing widespread destruction and killing 115 people.

Since then, laws have been passed to improved building standards. And residents are better educated about earthquake risks. So why hasn't a system been rolled out in the U.S. yet?

Lucy Jones is a science adviser for risk reduction in the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS.

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