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5 things to know while living in 'earthquake country'

Ryan Arba, branch chief of seismic hazards with Cal OES, spoke to ABC10 about what to expect and how to prepare for potential future quakes.

SACRAMENTO, California — A new batch of earthquakes in the Bay Area on Tuesday has residents in Northern California on edge in fear of the "Big One."

Ryan Arba, branch chief of seismic hazards with California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) gave ABC10 tips about what to expect and how to prepare for any potential future quakes.

1. Is the "Big One" coming?

"Since we live in California we live in earthquake country and the Big One can happen at any time," Arba said. "Even the events that occurred in Ridgecrest, if that same earthquake had occurred in the Bay Area or in the Southern California the damage could've been a lot greater."

2. Will we feel any aftershocks after the Bay Area earthquakes on Tuesday?

"What we learned from the scientific community is that earthquakes tend to cluster," Arba said. "If you look at the history of earthquakes that have been monitored and tracked over time, a large earthquake usually has some level of aftershocks that come in a few days of that earthquake occurring."

RELATED: 4.3 magnitude earthquake rattles San Francisco Bay Area

3. Should we still be worried even if we don't live in the Bay Area?

"It doesn't mean we're risk-free," Arba said. "It could happen here. In fact, many of the earthquakes, the Northridge earthquake of 1994, even these recent Ridgecrest earthquakes were not on a known fault line. They were in an area known for earthquakes not on a specific fault line."

4. Be prepared. Pack a water-resistant go-bag that will last you at least three days with water, food, and clothes.

"There are things we can do inside our homes to better prepare ourselves, such as securing our bookshelves to the wall, looking for items that are large that can fall during an earthquake shaking, and finding ways of securing our space," Arba said.

5. Fill up your bathtub.

In case of a major earthquake, utility companies may turn off water and power to prevent overflow from main breaks. You can use the water for bathing, brushing your teeth, and even flushing your toilet.

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WATCH ALSO: From the archives: 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake strikes San Francisco

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