April 18th is the anniversary of the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake--a natural disaster that wiped out much of one of the United States' West Coasts' major cities. I'm writing this qassia "intel" in commemoration of that event and to help folks think about their own preparation and safety for natural disasters and other emergencies by using examples from my family's own personal experiences.
The 1906 San Francisco Quake quake itself caused major damage, and the resulting fires encouraged by broken water transmission lines finished off the disaster's effect--hundreds of thousands homeless, scores killed, many more injured.
It was one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded.
Of course, we also all know the effects of the December 26, 2004 earthquake that struck off of the Indonesian archipelago. That quake, and the ensuing tsunami not only hit directly next to the islands next to the epicenter, but also had an affect--sometimes deadly--over the rest of the world. Scientists said that the whole earth vibrated from the effects of that quake. My daughter flew to Thailand immediately after the quake to help with the relief efforts--she saw the effects of the tsunami first-hand. She was also still in Thailand when an 8-point aftershock hit--which caused much concern for those of us who were not with her.
My family has also experienced earthquakes--not only on the island of Guam ( www.squidoo.com/guam_experience ), but also while living in Montana ( www.squidoo.com/montana_monster ), and--most recently--in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.
We were in the Bay Area of California when the 7.9 Loma Prieta Earthquake hit. Although it was terrifying, it was also fascinating to watch the floor of our house rolling like waves and the walls bucking like broncos. From the relative safety of our hallway under cushions of our couch, we watched books tumbling out of our bookcases and pictures on our fireplace mantle fall to the floor. It seemed like hours... but it lasted only about 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Our power went out, and we had to tune in our portable radios to hear what was going on. We saw clouds of dust rising from the fields and vacant lots around our home and the neighborhood dogs were all going nuts barking and howling. With the power out, the silence was eerie... seems like even the folks who had been driving on the local freeways got off the road and parked (Maybe because of the fear of falling bridges and overpasses).
From the radio, we heard newscasters telling about the collapsed Cypress Freeway in Oakland/Berkeley, the fires in the Marina District of San Francisco, and the damaged sections of the Oakland Bay Bridge. We found out later that one of the reasons why there were so few injuries and deaths from this earthquake was that it happened during a momentous Bay Area event--the San Francisco Giants were playing the Oakland A's in a "World Series" playoff that evening--and those who normally would have been on the Bay Bridge or on the collapsed freeways were either already seated at Candlestick Park in San Francisco or were already home watching the game on their televisions. Wow!
That evening, our power was restored, and we saw the replays of the television footage that had scared the mess out of the rest of the world (who had been in their living rooms or the local pub to watch the baseball game).
After this natural event, my family was even more convinced to "be prepared"--we took more seriously the warnings we had gotten when we first moved to California.
We got together our own "Earthquake Preparation Kit" (and this is something you should consider doing as well!)--
Starting quickly, we went out and bought:
Large plastic garbage container with a pull-handle, wheels, and a sealable lid, which we filled with:
Gallon-plastic-bottles of distilled water (1 for each member of the family)
Candles
2 rolls toilet paper
Duct Tape
Plastic Sheeting
Large plastic garbage bags with ties
Canned food (corned beef, veggies, soup)
Can opener (non-electric, of course)
utensils and plastic dishware, cups, mugs (nested for campers)
Water-proof matches
Flashlights
Extra Batteries
Dust masks
Plastic gloves
Work gloves
Medicine kit (bandaids, antibiotic, razor blades, stretch wraps, medical tape, list of prescriptions we're on, copies of medical records)
and a gas/water main turn-off tool
Eventually, we also bought a 6-person tent with floor and vestibule (fiberglass frame, separate tent-fly); Coleman propane-gas-stove; Coleman Ice-Chest/Coolers (small and large--also useful for picnics and day outings). These we stored near the entrance of our garage--ready for quick access in case of evacuation.
We keep emergency supplies in our car (smaller version of the big collection we have at home) in case we're stuck someplace on a freeway or out driving when disaster strikes.
We also discussed with our kids where we would go in case we were separated during the impending quake. If mom and dad were at work and the kids were out and about, we chose a local park where we could be with neighbors and folks who knew us and which would be a central place to gather in case the house was no longer accessible.
We keep these items updated and refreshed--and we're more ready for a quake (we learned our lessons from our "Typhoon Kits" when we lived on Guam--but that's another story-- www.squidoo.com/dangerous_winds and www.squidoo.com/guam_experience ).
So... on this anniversary of one of the largest quakes in modern history, do yourself a favor and check out the status of your own emergency supplies and disaster preparedness. Whether it's an earthquake, a hurricane, a typhoon, an avalanche, a forest or wild fire, a tornado, a flood, a landslide, volcanic eruption, or something else... it's good to be at least somewhat prepared, right?
I hope this has inspired you to get your supplies together so you will be prepared when the next "big one" hits!
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Contributor's Note
Local news coverage of the San Francisco Great Earthquake of 1906 was the stimulus for me to write this "intel" up for you. So... what's shakin'?
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