What Venezuela’s deadly quake can teach Californians about the San Andreas Fault

VENEZUELA AND ITS CAPITAL, Caracas, were rocked by two massive earthquake pulses on June 24, 2026, just seconds apart. The shaking from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 events caused buildings to collapse in cities across the northern part of the country, killing more than 900 people and trapping many more, government officials reported.

University of Southern California geophysicist Sylvain Barbot explained what’s known about the earthquake pulses so far, what risks are still ahead and why Californians should pay attention.