Earthquakes are common in California and they're also likely to happen near Mount St. Helens. However, it's not very common to see these many earthquakes in a short period of time and all close together. Experts are concerned that something more may be going on, and perhaps they have a right to worry. Read below to check out their reasoning that a huge earthquake on the west coast may be on the horizon.

Overall, there have been 68 earthquakes in the vicinity of Mount St. Helens since New Year’s Day, and there have been a total of 629 earthquakes in the state of California within the last 30 days. Could it be possible that all of this activity is leading up to a historic seismic disaster on the west coast?

The 4.4 magnitude earthquake along the Hayward fault very early on Thursday jolted people out of bed all over the San Francisco area…

If this was the worst quake in this particular swarm, it won’t ultimately be that big of a deal.

However, USGS Geologist David Schwartz is warning that this 4.4 magnitude earthquake could potentially be “a foreshock of something larger”…

“It is centered on about a five-mile-long section of the Hayward Fault that in the past 10 years has produced 30 earthquakes of magnitude between 3-4,” he told KPIX 5. “So it is a hot spot along the fault and this morning’s earthquake was the largest of that group.”

Schwartz said the real question in the hours after the quake was “is this a foreshock of something larger? That’s the concern.”

Scientists assure us that the “Big One” is coming, and when it does arrive the devastation will be absolutely off the charts.

Speaking to Daily Star Online, seismologist Peggy Hellweg, from the University of California, said the region is not prepared to deal with the fallout from such an earthquake.

She said that a magnitude 7 or greater earthquake could kill “tens of thousands of people”.

In financial terms, such a quake would likely cause “tens to hundreds of billions of dollars in damage”, she said.

And remember, she is talking about a magnitude 7 earthquake in her scenario.

A magnitude 9 earthquake would be many, many times more powerful, and it would easily be the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of the United States.

Earthquake swarms at Mount St. Helens are not unusual, but what we have seen over the first four days of 2018 has definitely gotten the attention of seismologists.

If what the experts are saying is true, you may want to either leave California entirely, live in a secure home or shelter, or think of ways to stay safe and be prepared if a strong earthquake should take place in the future. Like we said earlier, disasters can happen anywhere, but it's how we plan for them and respond to them is what matters.

[Check out An Imminent Massive Earthquake Will Soon Devastate the Pacific Northwest]

We must never ignore the signs because they're there as clear as day. Prepare, warn family members, and know what to do during a collapse. It's your only way to survive during a survival scenario.

For more on the earthquakes that have been taking place and why else experts think it's a precursor of what's to come, check out The Economic Collapse.