There is no reliable method of accurately predicting where, when, and at what magnitude an earthquake is to occur. But there are some indicators that may tell you that one is coming in the next hour or month:
  • Foreshocks. Similiar to aftershocks, foreshocks are small earth movements but they can occur before an earthquake. However, foreshocks do not always precede and earthquake and are often hard to distinguish from a regular earthquake.
  • Strange animal activity. This activity is also not guaranteed since many animals act strangely even when there is no earthquake. However, if you see snakes, worms, and other earth-digging creatures coming out of the ground all at once, there will be an earthquake within the next hour.
  • Changes in land elevation and groundwater levels in the months preceding and earthquke. Increased stress between two plates can cause the land to swell upwards. Groundwater levels may drop or rise accordingly.
  • Get the Quake Alarm. An earthquake detector created for personal use. The quake alarm detects P waves, the first waves generated by an earthquake that travel the fastest. Supposedly, this alarm should give you enough warning that you can find a safe area before the more damaging S and L waves arrive.
  • Observation of earthquake clouds. This is a new theory currently under examination. The clouds often appear within a month of the earthquake directly above the epicenter. Clouds are usually sword-shaped or cross-like in appearance. After seeing one, all you need is a camera to record it in the sky (if you are there), or a satellite image to determine where the epicenter will be in relation to the cloud. For more information, check out this site: http://members.nbci.com/eqprediction/index.html
Earthquakes in certain areas can also be predicted due to their regular occurances. If a region experiences 6.0 shocks on regular intervals, it is easy to predict the probabilty of when another one will happen.