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Earthquakes in the Bay Area are a question of "when" not "if," and Thursday, officials christened a new facility in the East Bay that could prove critical in the movement of resources and people in a big emergency-- like a major earthquake.

RELATED: Expert says Anchorage quake mild compared to 7.0 that could hit Bay Area

It's been nearly 30 years in the making, but the new Water Emergency Transportation Authority operations facility at Alameda Point is now a reality.

The idea for the WETA center grew out of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, when a section of the Bay Bridge collapsed, cutting off San Francisco, from the East Bay.