Hi Petra

There were two magnitude 5 foreshocks to Loma Prieta. One I think was a 5.6 magnitude that occured in June of 1988 and then the August 1989 quake of 5.2 AFter both quakes the USGS issued a warning and a statistic that there was a greater chance of a 6+ quake hitting the Bay Area in the next 5 days. Obviously it didn't happen within 5 days but it turned out USGS was correct in their assumptions that something was going on. Infact I read that the Oakland Fire Dept. did unplanned drills during both those warning weeks that they say helped them be prepared for Loma Prieta.

So I guess my question was, there seems to be some places in the Bay Area that are the "usual suspects" for 5+ quakes. HOllistor, Anywhere on Calaveras from Hollistor through Fremont...off the coast, maybe even parts of Contra Costa...

But if a 5+ quake struck any segment of Hayward Fault or Rodgers Creek, which none has in the last 130+ years....I'm sure USGS would be adament to the public that something was just a little...off? I dunno, my opinion only.