A Los Angeles Fire Department rescue-helicopter pilot, Ray Gaines, is a devoted single father on the verge of divorce from his wife, Emma, who is planning to move in with her wealthy real estate developer boyfriend, Daniel Riddick. As Ray prepares for a trip to Nevada to take his daughter, Blake, to college, the feared San Andreas fault starts to give in, initiating a devastating earthquake that rips through California. Amidst the chaos of Los Angeles crumbling, Ray manages to rescue Emma from a skyscraper by helicopter just as the city is torn apart.

Their journey to safety is just the beginning as they attempt to head to San Francisco in search of Blake, who has been abandoned by Daniel and is struggling to survive amidst the destruction. Blake meets Ben, a young engineer, and his younger brother, Ollie, who both help her navigate through the ruins of the city while awaiting rescue. Ray and Emma, bound by desperation to protect their daughter, face a perilous trek across a landscape that is constantly shifting and threatening to collapse further, complicating their mission with every passing moment. The faltering fault lines fuel a series of intense aftershocks and tsunamis, transforming the rescue operation into a race against time.