The disaster : a large quake

The disaster scene is calculated for maximum mayhem: a large quake  off Huntington Beach ruptures three offshore oil platforms, a tsunami  washes over the San Onofre nuclear plant, and across Southern  California, freeways rip asunder and buildings collapse.

It's part of an earthquake simulation by San Diego State University called Exercise 24 that is meant to test a variety of public agencies, their warning  systems and a relatively new player in the world of disaster-relief:  social media.

The public in invited to take part in the simulation by logging into Facebook and Twitter and sending messages as if seeking information about the quake.