Felt the Earth Move?
We Californians are sometimes smug about earthquakes. So, when we see the coverage of a 5.8 on the east coast, we may laugh and want to tell those good folk at the various cable stations that their constant coverage seems a little, well, over-done. We eat 5.8s for breakfast. We laugh at anything under 6.
Evacuate the Pentagon? Hell, we wouldn't get out of bed or run to a doorway. "Ride 'm cowboy," is our motto. We are macho men and macha (If this isn't yet a real Spanglish word, it should be!) women. We survived the Northridge Quake at 6.7! (About 9 times larger than today's mini-temblor) Our Northern Cal cousins went through the Loma Prieta Quake in 89 and rocked and rolled at 6.9. This here is quake country. Of course, not everyone survived those two quakes. Ah, yes, memories are short. We are indeed terribly smug.
We are also indeed terribly wrong. We are not prepared for the Big One or even a pretty big one. Yes, our new buildings are designed properly. Many of our older buildings have been retrofitted and have a chance of staying intact. Our freeways, bridges and over-passes? Not so much. Our ability to deliver food and water, never mind electricity and gas? We are not ready.
Few have earthquake kits with supplies of food, clothing, medicines and water that could sustain the household for a week or two. Many more people have firearms to protect themselves from marauders than enough supplies to maraud.
Earthquakes should be no laughing matter. Our east coast friends got off lucky today. The quake was just under the severely damaging level. I hope it will be a wakeup call to them. Remember that just because quakes are rare in that part of the country doesn't mean they don't happen. The New Madrid Quakes of 1811 in Missouri were felt in over a million square miles, while the San Francisco Quake of 1908 was sensed in a little over 16,000 square miles! And just because quakes are common here, doesn't mean we should be blasé. Being prepared is not a bad idea.
©2011 Jonathan Dobrer
www.Dobrer.com
A timely and well written article with much good information for those exposed to earthquakes and those not.
Having been through several mild quakes (under 6.5) and involved with clean-up and recovery, I am well aware of the difficulty in getting necessities to the public. Similar situations occur in hurricane damaged areas and yet once the tragedy is over, many people forget what is really important and pre-planning goes out the window.
Mr. Dobrer does his usual good job. Thanks.