Must You Experience An Earthquake or Other Disaster To Get the Incentive To Prepare for the Next One?
I live in Earthquake Country. But then again, almost anywhere on Earth can experience earthquakes--it's just that in my area (the San Andreas Fault Area of California), the quakes are more frequent and have been historically more devastating than elsewhere. Before coming to California, I lived for 12 years on the Western Pacific island of Guam--and because Guam was on an edge of a major tectonic plate (home of the Marianas Trench!), we had frequent large earthquakes there, too.
The Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 was on April 18th. Each year, the City of San Francisco has a commemoration ceremony and other events to continue awareness of what earthquakes can do in our area.
The Earth is constantly moving--not in the obvious things such as the air with the winds and storms and in the water with the tides and currents, but in the ground. The molten core of the Earth has its own currents--and the "tectonic plates" of the Earth's crust ride and move on this molten core. Most of this movement is slow and subtle and not very obvious--unless one experiences when one plate rubs against another or jerks loose during a subduction or upheaval resulting in an earthquake or when the molten magma finds a way through a weak part of the crust--resulting in a volcano.
The Earth is busy--Check the RSS news-feed below to see all the quakes happening by the minute!
This may be a good time to learn a bit about the power and devastation of these natural occurrences--and to prepare for that next "big one". There's more about earthquakes below.
The tips and survival gear presented here can also be helpful for preparing for typhoons, hurricanes, blizzards, and other types of disasters.
Contents at a Glance
- It's A Shakin'! And We're Watching It! Here are the headlines!
- News on the Recent Illinois (U.S. Midwest) Earthquake!
- Quake Shots -- Glimpses of the Aftermath...
It's A Shakin'! And We're Watching It! Here are the headlines!
Be sure to check this lens frequently--the following list updates daily, if not hourly. You can see what seismic activity is happening all over the world.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byNews on the Recent Illinois (U.S. Midwest) Earthquake!
More where this one came from!
Earthquake hits southern part of Illinois
Earthquake shakes Illinois and is felt all over the midwest.
Quake Shots -- Glimpses of the Aftermath...
There is a fantastic panoramic photograph of the ruined city on the Bancroft Lib...
On October 17, 1989, the plates along the
(CNN) -- A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck off the coast of central Peru on Wedn...
What, you thought mrwaterslide didn't have any photos of the San Francisco earth...
Pan Jewelers days after the Dec '03 San Simeon earthquake.
Post-earthquake streets, April 18, 1906 (Ruth right and Elise left) - my great g...
I had to upload at least one more shot from this morning's quake -- here the dus...
The Aiki earthquake in central Japan (28.08.1891). This photograph has probably...
For those who have been hiding under a rock Peru was hit pretty hard by an Earth...
Day before Halloween 07, around 8pm(ish) I was on my way out to Target when the ...
Indonesian Earthquake
Our electricity came back on at 6:19 p.m., about 11 hours after the voltage drop...
Me heating up some corn for dinner. Thank God for canned food and gas stoves!H...
On August 15th, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Pisco, Peru, approximately 200...
I was in the hospital when it happened, it was very strong, very violent, all th...
The remains of part of the harbor, damaged in the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 19...
Aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire at Howard near 18th Stre...
Cobblestone pavement was split and streetcar rails twisted by the earthquake. C...
A ruined San Francisco City Hall in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake and fir...
Pages from the book Scenes of the San Francisco Fire and Earthquake published by...
sometimes, it is simply to expensive to repair a big building after an earthquak...
![5.6 Earthquake in Southern California by victor solanoy [digitalized]](http://static.flickr.com/15/18890071_b525ec49a6_s.jpg)
A moderate earthquake in Southern California - a 5.6. At the hotel we're stayin...
I took Julie to see the Mammoth Earthquake Fault, and I was disappointed to disc...
Section of the Bay Bridge collapsed during the 1989 Earthquake. I happened to be...
Landslide after Earthquake in Skyros (East Side)
An earthquake struck central Taiwan on the 21st Sept 1999. It measured 7.3 on th...
October 19, 1989. San Francisco Earthquake.Two days after the quake, I took t...
View from our hotel room in Maui shows dust at the large cinder cone (Pu'u Olai)...
Here you can see more damage from the 1995 earthquake. Look at how the lights an...
Flattened cars near the marina after the earthquake.
Cars and buildings after the 1989 quake.
Building braced to prevent falling.
Paso Robles. Two women were killed when this old, historic and (unreenforced) bu...
Still want to move to California?Note Yahoo maps is wrong as usual--this was ...
Monterey, CA
.: Damage to the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Library from the Hawaii Earthqua...
A lumber dealer building on Showa-Dori has severely damaged by the earthquake.
Fukuoka Earthquake aftermath... A vending machine on a street
The Taiwan Earthquake Museum in the village of Wufeng. Enhanced in iPhoto.
Track Field Damaged by the 9/21 Earthquake in Taiwan, preserved at a museum.
kobe december '95
Kobe, Japan
Found some old slides of the day after the
Loma Prieta Earthquake damage on Bay Bridge.
Bridge damage from the Loma Prieta Earthquake.
This aerial shot shows how extensive the damage was to the Nimitz Freeway from t...
The upper deck collapsed down onto the lower deck
The top deck of the Nimitz Freeway collapsed down onto the lower deck.
Visit to Hokkaido, JAPAN, Summer 2005
Visit to Hokkaido, JAPAN, Summer 2005
Links for the Great Earthquake of San Francisco on April 18, 1906
- Government Archives--The Great San Francisco Quake
- This website has a wide collection of pictures and stories of the great quake.
- Eyewitness to History Website on the Great San Francisco Quake
- This website has a good collection of stories and pictures from the quake.
- U.S. Geological Survey Website on the Great San Francisco Earthquake
- The U.S. Geological Survey website has a lot of tips for preparation as well as educational materials for preparing for a big quake.
- Virtual Museum for the City of San Francisco, Webpage on the Great San Francisco Earthquake
- This Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco has many eye-witness accounts of the Great Quake--from residents who went through this massive event.
- ZPUB.com Webpage on the San Francisco Great Quake
- This webpage provides statistics, pictures, and many discussions of the events surrounding the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.
- About.Com Webpage on the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
- This website has pictures and the story about the quake from compiled research.
- Berkeley Seismological Laboratory Web Page on the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
- This webpage produced by the Berkelely Seismological Laboratory provides their analysis and account of the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
- SLU Webpage on the 1906 Great San Francisco Earthquake
- In addition to the story of the event, this webpage also has many links to photographs and other references.
San Francisco Earthquake 1989 - Taiwan Earthquake 1999 Videos
Earthquake Destruction
See earthquakes pound San Francisco and pulverize Taiwan. http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/?source=4001
Get a Plan. Gather the Supplies. NOW!
What Part of "NOW" Do You Not Understand?
Think about where you live.
Have disasters of any kind EVER happened near where you live? (by the way, tornados HAVE BEEN RECORDED IN EVERY STATE and EVERY CONTINENT--essentially ANYWHERE... they don't just occur only in Kansas, Dorothy!)
Make a list of what can happen.
On Guam, our main concern was typhoons, of course, but also earthquakes and the resulting tsunami. We also had to be aware of storm-surge flooding. So, if we lived near a beach or in a low-lying area compared to the surroundings, we'd have to be aware of flooding risks as well.
Here in California (right on the San Andreas Fault--not to mention the other hundreds of smaller, less-well-known faults), earthquake awareness is a necessity! In the central valley, flooding is also a concern. Along the coast, tsunami-risk is also a concern (in addition to the earthquake, mudslide, flooding, and other risks).
In Montana, we'd know that winters can be extremely cold and the blizzards are unforgiving. Annual seasonal flooding from the snowmelt can be a significant risk, as can avalanche danger in the mountains. Some major earthquakes have also happened in Montana--in particular, one on the Gallatin River back in the 1950s that basically collapsed the side of a mountain and created a landfill dam (and killed many campers and residents who were living in the canyon).
Make a list of your family members and their special needs (medical, physical, etc.)
With the list of your family members, make sure you keep records of medical prescriptions, and other important papers in a plastic/waterproof bag that you can grab and escape with in case of an emergency.
Plan your escape route(s), and plan your meeting places!
If your family is caught in your house when the earthquake hits, have a safe place designated in your house that is known to all family members.
As soon as the shaking is over, check for gas and water leaks--if you smell gas, shut off the gas at the main valve. If the water pipes are broken, shut off the water. (If you don't smell gas, don't shut off the gas.--read more about this on some of the resources listed below.)
If your family is separated during the quake--the kids are in school, dad and mom are at work--have a gathering or meeting place pre-arranged such as a local park or other location in case your home is no longer inhabitable.
Make sure that all your out-of-area/out-of-state relatives and friends know to NOT try to call you after the disaster. The phone lines will be jammed after an event like this. It will be easier for you to call out and notify a designated out-of-state friend or family member who can spread the word about your situation.
In your garage or easily accessable closet, store emergency supplies
Replenish and refresh these supplies regularly so they won't be stale if a disaster strikes.
In our garage, we have one of those large, plastic, sealable-lid, garbage-containers with wheels as our emergency stash. In this container, we have bottles of water, extra clothing, first-aid-kit, crank-powered radio-light, gas/water shut-off tool, light-sticks, dried food and meals-ready-to-eat (MRE), flashlights, batteries, gloves for each member of the family, dust masks, and other protective gear.
On shelves in the garage, we have our campstove, extra self-contained propane containers, tent, tarps, plastic sheets, duct tape, tools, and other gear.
In our area, the weather ranges from about 110 degrees F in the summer to as low as 20 degrees F in the winter, so we have to keep the appropriate types of clothing available for the particular season. If you live in the tropics, obviously you wouldn't need to keep a parka handy. On the other hand, if you live in blizzard and avalanche country, a pair of swimming trunks might not be an essential thing to have on hand.
More views of the 1989 San Francisco Loma Prieta Quake
California Earthquake Part 2
The aftermath of the Loma Prieta Earthquake Oct 17, 1989.
Batten Down Your Hatches! Tie Down Those Bookcases and Other Big Furniture!
You can buy the mounts, straps, and ties at local hardware stores--make sure you fasten the straps to studs in the wall.
In earthquake areas of California (which is most of California), inspectors make sure that the frame of the house is BOLTED to the foundation--and that the foundation is secured in concrete and or bedrock. This keeps the house from shifting during the quake and from settling. If the building is built on sand or loose dirt rather than bedrock, an earthquake can cause a phenomenon called liquification--and the building could sink into the ground and warp and break apart from the stress.
Survival Kit for Disasters-- Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Typhoons, Floods, and so on
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
More Vids of Quakes! Rockin' and a Rollin' and Shakin' and Quakin'...Prepare for it Now!
THE GREAT HANSHIN-AWAJI EARTHQUAKE (02)
震災 あの日のあの場所
Earthquake in Geiyo, Japan
Earthquake in Kobe, Japan
Los Angeles Earthquake
The Great San Francisco EarthQuake of 1989
Moments after the Great San Francisco Earth Quake of 1989
Earthquake Destruction
9.1 Sumatra earthquake
Shaking It Up! Let Folks Know About Your Earthquake Awareness!
1906 Commemorative Seismogram Organic Cotton Tee
1906 San Francisco Earthquake Commemorative Wear, complete with authentic seismogram recorded in Siberia the day of the earthquake.
Part of Disaster Survival Depends on Preparation. Are You Prepared?
Read Up and Stock Up On Disaster Preparedness!
Emergency Disaster Survival Guidebook by Doug King
THANKS to author Doug King for the excellent info. more...0 points
Survival Kit Deluxe Emergency Disaster Preparedness 72 Hour Backpack Kits for Home, Work or Auto: 4 Person
Kit Includes:1 x Backpack4 x 2400 Cal. Food Bar4 x more...0 points
WEATHER CHANNEL Emergency Preparedness Disaster Survival Kit for 2 Person
Knowing that you and your family are prepared with more...0 points
First Alert Emergency Preparedness Kit
FIRST ALERT SEK-100 Emergency Preparedness Kit Cra more...0 points
More Earthquake Disaster Preparedness Resources for You!
- Federal Emergency Management Agency--Earthquake Pages
- FEMA presents a lot of good information on preparing for earthquakes, how to protect oneself during an earthquake, and what to do after an earthquake. Good stuff!
- The American Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Site
- The American Red Cross has great information that is useful for preparing for disasters. You can see a subpage with earthquake specific tips here: Earthquake Preparation Tips
- The United States Geological Survey Earthquake Preparedness Site
- A good site with information on preparing for and surviving earthquakes. Northern California information that can be applied elsewhere as well.
- American Rescue Team Earthquake Page
- This website provides good suggestions for earthquake preparation and survival.
- San Francisco Earthquake Preparation Materials
- A good website with information on how to prepare for earthquakes. Could be applicable for other disasters as well.
Earthquakes--Japan, Southern California, Simulations, Mexico City, Alaska, Australia
earthquake
Ito city,1989 southern California,1989 Mexico city,1985 Alaska,1964 Australia,1989 San Francisco,1989
Don't Quake in Your Boots! Drop a Note! Write a Missive! Shake the Ink Out!
BarbRad wrote...
I had to deal with the damage in the Paso Robles earthquake. I live five minutes from the building that fell and killed the two women. I'm very lucky no bookcases fell on me. You can see the pictures of what happens when the bookcases aren't secured in the lens I wrote on the Paso Robles Earthquake. It's not fun, and I'm still making repairs five years later.
Posted May 09, 2009
d-artist wrote...
I can't stand to be in an earthquake! when I lived in Calif. it was part of living there, now I deal with Tornado's... wish I knew the perfect place! 5*s
Posted September 17, 2008
eccles1 wrote...
I was going to make a lens about earthquakes and this is alot better then I would have done! you did a great job I'll come back later and do more checking out love this lens we had alot of earthquakes here in NV. last month I didn't know we lived in fault lines!! thank you
Posted August 29, 2008
NAIZA wrote...
Yeah, I heard about that earthquake happened in the Philippines way back 1993 if I was not mistaken. I am just seven years old then. It was really devastating for a lot of Filipinos when that disaster happen. Again lately in China, it does happen again and it costs a lot of lives so sad.;-(
Posted May 15, 2008
EverythingMouse wrote...
An excellent lens on a subject that I need to know more about. I live in Southern California and was evacuated during the last fire.
Posted May 01, 2008
flicker wrote...
Nice lens. Five stars. Good to hear from someone with personal experience.
Posted October 27, 2007
brettkun wrote...
Very Useful well thought out lense, And Nice To Meet You! Makurasuki Sensei yori
Posted October 21, 2007
by EditorDave
Living on Guam is what now "defines" me. It was such a dramatic difference in my life and outlook on things that there's no way I'd be the same...
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