In this limited series, find out what Caltech scientists on campus and at JPL are learning, as they’re learning it.  

In this episode, “the Earthquake Lady” Lucy Jones shares how lessons about disaster response and recovery learned from decades as a seismologist apply to the 2025 fires. Hear Jones’s insights into how communities confront events like these and remain resilient.  

This episode was produced by the Caltech Office of Strategic Communications and Caltech Academic Media Technologies. 

Learn more at scienceexchange.caltech.edu.  

Referenced in episode:  

View lead data from Caltech professor Francois Tissot’s lab at scienceexchange.caltech.edu/lead.  

Fill out the emergency alert survey at https://www.scsn.org.  

Clips used:  

“L.A.'s rock star seismologist heads off to retirement,” March 30, 2016 
CBS Evening News 

“Caltech seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones — aka "The Earthquake Lady" — was in the middle of a news conference about Friday's 5.1 temblor,” March 29, 2014 
KTLA 5 News 

“Dr. Lucy Jones discusses 4.4 quake, biggest to hit LA in 3 years,” August 29, 2018 
ABC7  

“Volunteer efforts underway for Eaton Fire victims,” January 10, 2025 
NBC4LA 

“Altadena Church that survived Eaton Fire helping community heal,” February 12, 2025 
FOX11 Los Angeles 

“Eaton Fire collaborative introduced,” March 19, 2025 
KTLA 5 News 

Produced by Alyce Torrice/Caltech Office of Strategic Communications

© California Institute of Technology, 2025