And now from our not-really-news desk:

The USGS released a report yesterday that predicted a 99.7% chance that a “big” (being defined as magnitude 6.7 or greater) quake will strike Southern California within the next 30 years.

This is NOT news, USGS!!!

There were no less than four earthquakes in Southern California registering 6.7 or greater during the 6 years that I lived there and a great many more “lesser” quakes, including one for which I had the enormous privilege of being withing five miles of the epicenter. And, there have been two more “larger” quakes since I moved away! (Note that there were several quakes in So. Cal. in the last 20 years, but only six were of magnitude 6.7 or greater. Most ranged instead between 4.0 and 6.0 magnitude.)

Southern Californians already know they live in an earthquake prone area and that a big earthquake could strike at any time. I think what would have been more helpful to know is when The Big One can be expected. How about you make a prediction about that, USGS?