Even though this page is under construction, there's still a lot of good information here.

Shortly I'll be adding more links and adding additional useful information and resources. So pleased stay tuned!

Interactive Earthquake 3-D Model (courtesy of MSNBC.

DATELINE: May 14, 2008:
The United Nations estimates that up to 2.5 million people were directly affected by the Myanmar cyclone.

There is only one KEY in preparing for an emergency, whether it is a natural or man-made disaster. This KEY is ADVANCE PREPARATION. In any disaster, there is an immediate need for access to resources (food, first aid, tools, etc.). You can prepare your own emergency supplies by using the checklist below. Or you can purchase ready-made emergency/disaster kits.

Survival & Disaster kits fall into two categories. One category is for individuals, where there's only enough to supply one person. The other category is for families and groups of people.

With the plethora of supplies and kits I've put together some guidelines and tips to help ease any confusion you may have.

INDIVIDUAL KITS: these are good for one to three days. These are useful to keep in your car, at work, or any other convenient place.
TIP: DO NOT RELY SOLELY ON AN INDIVIDUAL KIT
REASON: In any disaster, once you run out of food (1 to 3 days with these kits) THEN what do you do for food?

TIP: Even if you don't have a family, get a Family sized kit at the very least. The reason is that in event of a disaster, you WILL come across many others who are without food or medicine. By your advance preparation and forethought, you will be in a position to help others in times of dire need. You would want someone to aid you if you were caught short-handed in a disaster, wouldn't you?

WHY WOULD ANYONE NEED ONE OF THOSE EXTRA LARGE SURVIVAL KITS? Good question. The first survival kit I ever purchased shortly after riding through California's magnitude 6.9 Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989. This kit had everything I or my family would ever need. The DRAWBACK? It weighs 55 lbs! If I ever needed to evacuate on foot, I'd never be able to carry something that heavy.

Here's the benefit to having these extra large survival kits: if you have to evacuate on foot, pack the amount of supplies that you can comfortably carry. TIP: Leave the remainder behind. This way, those who come after you will benefit from these left-behind supplies. Remember always, "No Man Is An Island."

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This section under construction, a lot of valuable links coming soon!

First things first: FIRST AID KITS
Link for West Marine. They make the BEST first aid kits. The container is waterproof. Inside the kit there are 4 compartments that make it easy to retrieve the correct item if you are in a hurry or if you're faced with a crisis.

Individual Kits:

Family Kits:

Extra Large Kits:

Travel Necessities:

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You've no doubt heard the terms: earthquake supplies, emergency supplies/kits, or disaster kits. Perhaps you already have such a kit. If so, does this mean that you're prepared for a real emergency such as an earthquake or other natural disaster? Not necessarily. When is the last time you've gone through your supplies and replaces what's missing?

Perhaps you have no emergency kit at present, but you know where you could get them if necessary. That's the next best thing to already owning such kits, right? WRONG. Sorry to burst your bubble, but this is for your own good.

The Discovery Channel, in their documentary Mega Tsunami reported that in the event of any catastrophe, the Greatest Danger people face results from the fact that no one believes it will happen to them. Such people do not plan in advance will have NO resources for surviving the catastrophe and for surviving the aftermath.

For those of you planning to buy emergency kits "someday", well, yesterday was "someday". Last week was seven "somedays" ago. Last year at this time was 352 "somedays" ago. How many hundreds of "somedays" have come and gone where you've failed to make complete advance preparations? "Someday never comes", but disasters--natural and otherwise--can and WILL occur.

People who know me know that I am pretty easy-going. Most of the time. However, whenever I encounter someone who's actions (or lack thereof) puts themselves or others in harms way, my BEAR side comes out roaring. So I say this to those of you to whom the above paragraph applies: "STOP MAKING EXCUSES! JUST DO IT!"

There is only one perfect time to prepare for a disaster. That time is well IN ADVANCE. Waiting until a disaster is upon you is too late.

Here's the scenario that plays out no matter what the type of natural disaster. If the disaster is something unexpected, say like an earthquake or tornado, no one has time to bet prepared. However, with other types of disasters, such as hurricanes, another scenario unfolds. People will have a small but valuable window of time to get prepared for the event. So they head to the nearest grocery store / hardware store to get supplies. Guess what? So have every other Tom, Dick and Harry in their town or city! The contents on store shelves will be quickly exhausted. In a small town this might not be a problem. But in larger urban areas it is a problem. Don't let this happen to you and your loved ones.

Advance preparation is an absolute necessity in this day and age. If a disaster is devastating enough, outside help will not be forthcoming. You've got to plan and stock for at least 2 weeks of food, water and supplies. You must assume that roads and bridges will be impassable due to the damage, cutting off outside help and escape routes. The cyclone that devastated Myanmar in May of 2008 is a case in point. Over 1 million people were affected by this event have NO HELP COMING, either from their military or from other countries.

How about help in a disaster here in the United States? Think help would be immediately forthcoming? Think again. Look up survivor accounts from when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in August of 2005. For true accounts of what occurred, don't read the regular news media. Read instead individual survivor accounts. Even FEMA admits that people should have 2 weeks of supplies on hand in case of disaster!

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Checklist for emergency packs. Add to & modify these lists as needed. You can also use this checklist to compare items or check inventory in pre-packaged emergency kits.
TIER 1: "Basic Necessities" Items Necessary To Survive If You Had Nothing Else.

1. ___ Fanny pack
2. ___ Flint and Vaseline soaked cotton balls for fire starter.
3. ___ Compact Saw- looks like a chain saw chain is the best and folds. The ones with handles are best.
4. ___ Jack knife & sharpening stone
5. ___ Bandanna (2 or more for each person)
6. ___ Plastic for catching dew
7. ___ Magnifying glass
8. ___ Emergency blanket - the thin metallic ones will work but if you can a sportsman blanket is better and will last longer.
9. ___ Water bottle
10. ___ Water purification tablets
11. ___ Breakfast / candy bars or nuts include protein.
12. ___ Kleenex tissues in travel packs to substitute for toilet paper.
13. ___ Pain relief pills / needed medications, including anti-diarrhea pills.
14. ___ Small First-aid kit
15. ___ Sunglasses and sun screen.
16. ___ Aluminum foil (reflectors, cups for carrying water, etc.)
17. ___ Crushable hat with WIDE brim
18. ___ String, at least 3 feet
19. ___ Earplugs

TIER 2: Items Needed for 72 Hours (add to Tier 1 items):

1. ___ 3 days of food and water. Including treats for kids and something for them to do.
2. ___ Change of clothes. Include polyester long johns and socks.
3. ___ Jacket (even it's hot, take one anyway!)
4. ___ Bandanna (2 or more for each person)
5. ___ Matches or lighter or both
6. ___ Complete First Aid kit (for yourself and others)
7. ___ Ace bandages
8. ___ Collapsible bucket or lightweight bucket to carry water. Or half-gallon milk jugs for water (tie them to your back pack).
9. ___ Water purification system or small amount of bleach and eye dropper - use 4 drops per quart and let sit for 1 hour.
10. ___ Roll of toilet paper, squashed and plastic sacks. Plastic sack to put used in (make sure there's no holes in the bags).

TIER 3: Long Range Necessities (for 3 Weeks at Least):

1. ___ Long-haul, comfortable to wear, backpack for each person.
2. ___ Ankle-high hiking boots, broken in and waterproofed.
3. ___ Tent -- as light weight as possible but include full rain fly.
4. ___ Tarp (1 or 2), sportsman blankets will work. Available at hardware stores and sporting goods stores for about $13.00 each.
5. ___ Sleeping bag for each person. As light weight as possible.
6. ___ Rope (Parachute cord is best)
7. ___ 3 weeks of food for each person, preferably trail food. This ensures that when you get where you are going you have food. And if you have to hike somewhere you have food.
8. ___ Cook ware (at least one small and one large pot)
9. ___ Backpack cook stove (can make out of tuna / cat food cans). "Heet" for fuel
10. ___ Back Roads Atlas and Gazetteer.
11. ___ Important papers: Birth certificates, etc.
12. ___ Ski poles for walking sticks (Cheap at resale stores)
13. ___ Half-gallon Milk jugs for water, tie them to back pack.
14. ___ More extensive first aid kit including, Colloidal Silver and Grapefruit Seed Extract (available at health food stores), and EmergenC.
15. ___ 1 cup, 1 bowl, 1 spoon and 1 fork for each family member as light weight as you can get. (Note: enamel ware is heavier and LOUD when banged, stick with plastic ware except for cooking. There will be times when you do not want to draw attention to your location.)
16. ___ Soap
17. ___ Deodorant - unscented is best.
18. ___ At least set of one warm weather clothes and one set of cold weather clothes.
19. ___ Hatchet (1 per group)
20. ___ Back packers rain poncho for each family member.

FOOD:
a. Take dehydrated foods if possible. If you have to backpack cross-country you will be glad you did.
b. Will need foods with extra potassium, protein and salt.
c. Beans cooked with rice make the same complex protein as meat.
d. Some spices would be nice.

FOR LADIES
Sea sponges and unwaxed dental floss for pull strings. Then an unbreakable, watertight jar with vinegar water in it, will do the trick. I have seen sponges at Whole Foods and Gentle Strength Co-op. You might have to cut them to size.

Also, add Maxi-Pads to your first aid kit. They are useful for treating any wounds that bleed heavily.

OTHER USEFUL ITEMS:
1. Book on eatable plants in the western states.
2. Information on trapping and tracking.
3. How to make your own bow and arrows in a pinch
4. A fishing drop line and hook.
5. Knowing ahead of time how to make emergency shelters.
6. Book on identifying healing herbs and plants.

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SWITCH VIEW:
To view an Animated Map showing all the earthquakes that occurred during the past 7 days in California and Nevada, CLICK HERE.

SWITCH VIEW:
To view this map with Animation that shows all earthquakes that occurring during the past 7 days CLICK HERE

Note: For earthquakes occurring outside the limits of this map, please see the California & Nevada map
SWITCH VIEW:
To view this map with Animation that shows all earthquakes that occurring during the past 7 days CLICK HERE

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Note: For earthquakes occurring outside the limits of this map, please see the California & Nevada mapSWITCH VIEW:
To view this map with Animation that shows all earthquakes that occurring during the past 7 days CLICK HERE

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SWITCH VIEW:
To return to the California & Nevada map with showing the current earthquakes CLICK HERE

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Note: For earthquakes occurring outside the limits of this map, please see the California & Nevada map.

SWITCH VIEW:
Click HERE to return to the map showing the latest earthquakes for Los Angeles region.

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Note: For earthquakes occurring outside the limits of this map, please see the California & Nevada map.

SWITCH VIEW:
Click HERE to return to the map showing the latest earthquakes for San Francisco region.

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Animation: USA Earthquakes for the past 7 days.

SWITCH VIEW:
To return to the map showing the latest USA earthquakes: CLICK HERE

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The 2008 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Maps display earthquake ground motions for various probability levels across the United States and are applied in seismic provisions of building codes, insurance rate structures, risk assessments, and other public policy. This update of the maps incorporates new findings on earthquake ground shaking, faults, seismicity, and geodesy.
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