English: Bull’s eye graphic for use with earthquake location maps (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sitting at my work station today alert signals were sounding off on my phone, iPad and computer as both national and local news apps tracked Tropical Storm Isaac. We may be clear across the country, but we are still very concerned. One CNN alert posted, ”New Orleans and much of the Gulf Coast faced the anniversary of devastating Hurricane Katrina by hunkering down for new storm amid ‘a high level of anxiety,’ as the Crescent City’s mayor put it Monday.”

Yep! I’d be more than a little anxious, too! We were in Florida several years ago with a hurricane on its way and I felt anxious just watching the local community boarding up glass storefronts while observing hotel personnel shift activity into high gear with well-practiced emergency preparation. I can’t be sure how I’d adjust in a situation where I knew a disaster might be in the making.

I’ve always said that although earthquakes certainly frighten me, we can’t anticipate the ground moving, so the fear factor is at least diminished. It’s difficult to fear what is more random than predictable. That is, unless you’re currently living in the Imperial Valley. More than 400 earthquakes, termed an earthquake swarm, have struck over the last two days at approximately the same epicenter, near Brawley, California. The largest quake yesterday afternoon, magnitude 5.5, hit the farming town with a decent wallop.

I looked it up. Brawley is 192 miles from my home in San Gabriel. I haven’t felt any movement, but just listening to all the talk has me a little jumpy.  Like most native Californians, I know just enough to get myself in a lather if I choose to think about the “what ifs.”

I know a fair share of information about tectonic plates. I can reasonably discuss strike-slips, thrust faults and subduction. I know how to read data from the Southern California Seismic Network, and if from around here we ALL know Kate Hutton, nicknamed “Earthquake Kate,” from Pasadena’s Cal-Tech Seismological Laboratory. Kate, along with her colleague Dr. Lucy Jones of the US Geological Survey, are the public faces every Southern California resident needs to know when looking to understand a current quake event or question fact from myth.

If I think about earthquakes with any level of concentration I can easily work into major anxiety. But like most people who live in earthquake areas, we also live in a bit of denial.  Earthquakes are certainly not confined to California, and in response to the Coney Island earthquake of 1884, the New York Times published an article which described behaviors that remind me  of the time our large family  gathered around the table at an Easter dinner when an earthquake hit. We barely missed a beat as the room rocked and chandelier circled our heads.

“Almost before you have had time to feel surprised at the suddenness of the interruption (for the earth never stops to apologize) it is all over; and you pick up the teapot with a smile, continuing the conversation with the greatest attainable politeness, as if nothing at all unusual had happened meanwhile.”

So typical. And so true–unless it’s not a small temblor! Sometimes the jolt is fierce enough to do some serious damage. And we have had those, too. I still get a little queasy if I think about our experiences with the October 1, 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake–we did have damage!

Seismologists have indicated the frequency of these current spasms doesn’t in any way indicate a likelihood for something bigger yet to come. These same earthquake swarms shook this region in the 1930s and the late 1970s, but the swarm will likely last for days, possibly weeks.

Since it’s very hard for me to tune out a “swarm” of anything, it seems prudent to be more productive rather than fearful.

We are putting a little boost of energy into updating our home earthquake preparation and supplies.

Even Kidspace Children’s Museum has earthquake preparation information for children and families.

It’s time to add a few more items to the measly canned good collection. Many of the other necessary items have been pulled out of stock for use and not replaced. I’m not like the Simpsons’ character Ned , believing insurance to be a form of gambling–my well-being rests better at night with a little forethought, planning and preparation.

So as we work on gathering our earthquake supplies I’ll be sharing some stories from our southland experiences. Since we were ultimately safe in the 1987 quake, although there was damage to the home and it was indeed very frightening, there are also some funny stories I will share. Family lore can be created around the strangest experiences!

Meanwhile, all good thoughts are being much more strategically directed to the people in the path of Isaac. Call it a tropical storm, fine, but any storm that is a hurricane in the making is a serious weather event. I hope it doesn’t gain much strength, but even a Category One hurricane is no small wonder if you’re the one sitting in its path.

So tonight I’m paying attention, on a little alert, but breathing lighter. We have a plan!

Debra

Related articles

• Southern California Earthquake Swarm (36 today alone) happeing today 8 26 12. They are getting larger. 4 & 5 mag now (sherriequestioningall.blogspot.com)
• Earthquake Swarm Rattles Brawley, Southern California – Plus Others Elsewhere Across World. (007blueray.wordpress.com)

Do you have a well-stocked disaster bag?

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the Japan earthquake and tsunami.  Re-watching the footage from that disaster reminded me, again, how vulnerable we all are to a natural disaster.   And last Monday, my own little house was jolted by an early morning earthquake.  Now, this one was only a 4.0 and nothing even fell of a shelf, but the first thing I thought was.

Why do I still not have an earthquake kit???

This task has been on my to- do list for months, if not years.  I’ve downloaded lists, I thought about all the places I need to go to collect the supplies; target, REI, the hardware store.  I’ve heard the stories, I have a family to protect, and yet I still have yet to cross it off my list!

Well, now I have no excuses!  I have been introduced to PrepareUs, a local company that sells disaster preparedness bags.    These bags come with everything you need to survive after a natural disaster and I mean everything (Full size toilet paper anyone??). 

Not only do you get a well stocked bag, but a full step-by-step guide to help you prepare for a disaster, no more wondering what you should or need to do, its all spelled out for you here.

One more thing really sets these PrepareUs bags apart.  Their unique refill system.  They will automatically alert you if anything in your kit is about to expire and replace it, at cost, insuring you are always up-to-date and never have to think about your disaster kit again!

The guys at PrepareUs have put together a list of helpful tips to ensure our families have the ability to anticipate and conquer in any unplanned event.

With 7 things, break it down to one task a day and you’ll be prepared for anything by this weekend!

1. Make a List: Take 5 minutes and just think – if there were a disaster right now, what would you do? What would you grab? What are your top 5 must grab items in the house?
2. Stabilize and Secure: Go around your house and make sure all heavy and fragile objects are sturdy and secure, especially above your bed or where you would normally sit and lounge about. (Bolt that picture to the wall that is precariously leaning on top of the fireplace!)
3. Plan: Become familiar with your children’s school evacuation plans and make a plan that works for your family so that you all know where to go, how to reach each other, and what each one expects from one another.  Write this down for each person and stow it in a safe place that is always near. (i.e. a wallet or backpack) Make a plan with babysitters and let them know where you expect them to go in case they have to evacuate you are not able to get home.
4. Backup: Make sure you back up and keep extra copies of important data such as computer files, birth certificates, passports, and other items you feel necessary on either an external hard drive or online cloud server.
5. Educate: Look up your local red cross shelters, find the local radio stations that you can tune into for information in case of emergency, and find the local 911 dispatch number to directly call local dispatch instead of a general 911 operator.  Also learn how to turn off your water and gas lines.
6. Supplies: Make sure you have a Go-Bag with enough of the essential supplies: food, water, sanitary items, and any medications needed for each person in your family to last for a few days; keep one in your home, along with smaller versions in your car and/or office.
7. Pets: We all know that pets are members of the family, so don’t forget about them!  Be sure to keep extra food and water to sustain them for a few days as well.

Natural disasters can be stressful and terrifying, but preparing for them doesn’t have to be.  With these few simple steps, you can become armed and ready for any unexpected occurrence, creating the safety and security that your family deserves.  For more information on anything we discussed, or to purchase fully equipped Go-Bag Packages, visit www.prepareustoday.com

*PrepareUs supplied the 7 tips and I was offered a discount on a go-bag as a thank you for this post.  As always, my opinions are my own

As a parent, when the earth wakes you up at four in the morning, you automatically go into Mommy and Daddy mode. Todd jumped out of bed and stood by the door waiting to see if the shake, rattle and roll was going to become severe. If Ryan was to wake up or the shaking was to get worse, then he would run and get our little man out of his crib. Thank God the shaking was over just as quickly as it came.

Born and raised in California, I’ve been exposed to earthquakes all my life. They still make me nervous as an adult. Our garage is stocked with tons of bottled water, food, and a first aid kit, but now I feel like we may not have enough. I definitely think we need to take another look. Also, I know you can purchase pre-made disaster kits at stores like Home Depot. We should have kits in the house, our cars, and at Todd’s office. You never know where you’ll be when a disaster will strike.

Are you prepared?