I really have no time to worry about this kind of thing, and I don't think a lot of other people do either. How does one prepare for an earthquake, anyway? Keep a first aid kit around? I'm not trying to be flip (well, maybe a little), but I think most people are too concerned with putting food on the table than to fret over this shit.
Proper building codes and clearly posted evacuation paths, with occasional drills. We can't prevent earthquakes and tsunamis, but we can build with them in mind.
I imagine that's the most common reaction. It's not just a lack of time but a lack of available nerves to deal with more stress!
I think the main answer to how to prepare is to plan. list of things to do I was in Santa Cruz less than a week after the big earthquake in 1989 and woke during an aftershock to find myself under a 2-story window. So I learned to be more aware of my surroundings.
We try to have fresh water and canned soup on hand but do find that the stash of soup disappears gradually due to hungry-before-payday evenings. The basic idea is that you should be able to function with the infrastructure shut down--that same earthquake shut down banking for several days and it meant you couldn't buy groceries without cash.
One thing I only recently realized was that you'll need food and water for pets too...
I've found BC has only just started teaching what to do during an earthquake so it can be as basic as finding out the safe places in your home and work.
I was in the Bay Area after the quake in 89 also. That stuff is scary!
It got me thinking though, and when we lived in Florida, I was ready to prep;are for hurricanes. Now it's just a matter of course, even here in Dalals - we get lots of violent storms and have an old house where the electricity goes down if you look at it funny.
When I lived in Vancouver, we did have earthquake prep on hand. But mostly, everyone I know was all "whatever!"
I've lived in enough places with severe enough weather or natural incidents: floods, extreme blizzards, to know better. Including an afternoon storm of hail, thunder, lightning, and snow. Ok. Nature, you win.
Easier to be prepared, even a bit, than not, I think. Our power in one place in Halifax went out if a squirrel sneezed, and with it, the water too, so we just got really good at being prepared to ride out the storms and outtages.
At least Canadians are familiar with weather extremes. When I first moved here, it snowed for THREE STRAIGHT DAYS and I was sure we were going to die. Donner Party all over again.
Alberta: blistering dry summers bringing flash floods and brutal brutal winters at -40c plus windchill,
moved to Vancouver, home of earthquakes, hurricane force winter storms, wacky thundersnow and downpours.
then to halifax where it was 2 years of hurricane watch,
And now in toronto. where I laugh when people tell me how awful it is here, because erm?
We always keep first aid gear, and water and food because stuff happens, and I'd rather not be dependent on "it'll never happen"( it does!) and that I think it'd be easier a bit to ride out the worst by being marginally prepared.
Did you hear about the risk of a tsunami when you were in Vancouver? I wasn't aware until post-Japan and then the model above. The turn north seems to lessen the impact only a little--it looks like a lot of the lower mainland would still get hit.
And what exactly does dude think we should DO about this? I mean, earthquakes can't be prevented and we're already watching the fault with what tech we have. Are we supposed to stock pile plastic wrap and duct tape or something?
the plan that was advertised in Vancouver on bus ads, and in the newspapers, that I recall was "just be prepared to be on your own for up to 72 hours till emergency crews can get to you." water, some food, a first aid kit, pet food, some extra bedding and if you had it, perhaps a wind up radio. It wasn't "you need a separate well stocked bunker!" but "put some stuff where you will be able to get at it when you need it.
And for home owners, stuff like knowing where the water and gas shutoffs were.it wasn't like they expected people to be able to rebuild civilization with their bare hands or such.
That's the same thing they tell us for tornadoes and severe winter storms. Thing is, most of us DO that here in the midwest, because we get 'disasters' a couple of times a year. It seems to me that's pretty weak advice when it comes after an argument that "OMG, it's going to be the end of the world, Katrina x 5, and we're all gonna die!!" I mean, some things are beyond basic emergency preparedness, you know?
Well, the earthquake will be strong but notice that most of the First Nations people lived through the 9.0 in 1700. The preparation, after you've found a safe place to ride out the earthquake, will be focused on food, clean water, and getting to high ground if you're anywhere near the coast. Those are simple, practical things IMO but not ones we're born knowing.
D: fucking hate earthquakes... San Francisco here, wasn't here for the last big one which was like 1989 but felt one scary tremor and a bunch of little ones... we should be prepared for a Really Big One and I'm reasonably sure my home is OK but I need an earthquake kit and
Other than the freeway, SF did well...but it was centred a bit south. Still, I think all the building and planning paid off. Friends were at an A's game and said it would have been worse--more people on that section of freeway (Nimitz?) but the game went into overtime. Or something fortunate like that. :)
Encouraging people to have earthquake kits and some idea of potential escape routes is a good thing, but to be honest the thing that saves lives in earthquakes and tsunamis is really good governmental coordination.
I know, I know :( A true patriot would advise anyone with a 13 meter wave coming their way to build an individual raft out of BOOTSTRAPS and Ayn Rand novels.
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I think the main answer to how to prepare is to plan. list of things to do
I was in Santa Cruz less than a week after the big earthquake in 1989 and woke during an aftershock to find myself under a 2-story window. So I learned to be more aware of my surroundings.
We try to have fresh water and canned soup on hand but do find that the stash of soup disappears gradually due to hungry-before-payday evenings. The basic idea is that you should be able to function with the infrastructure shut down--that same earthquake shut down banking for several days and it meant you couldn't buy groceries without cash.
One thing I only recently realized was that you'll need food and water for pets too...
I've found BC has only just started teaching what to do during an earthquake so it can be as basic as finding out the safe places in your home and work.
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It got me thinking though, and when we lived in Florida, I was ready to prep;are for hurricanes. Now it's just a matter of course, even here in Dalals - we get lots of violent storms and have an old house where the electricity goes down if you look at it funny.
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I've lived in enough places with severe enough weather or natural incidents: floods, extreme blizzards, to know better. Including an afternoon storm of hail, thunder, lightning, and snow. Ok. Nature, you win.
Easier to be prepared, even a bit, than not, I think. Our power in one place in Halifax went out if a squirrel sneezed, and with it, the water too, so we just got really good at being prepared to ride out the storms and outtages.
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Alberta: blistering dry summers bringing flash floods and brutal brutal winters at -40c plus windchill,
moved to Vancouver, home of earthquakes, hurricane force winter storms, wacky thundersnow and downpours.
then to halifax where it was 2 years of hurricane watch,
And now in toronto. where I laugh when people tell me how awful it is here, because erm?
We always keep first aid gear, and water and food because stuff happens, and I'd rather not be dependent on "it'll never happen"( it does!) and that I think it'd be easier a bit to ride out the worst by being marginally prepared.
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And for home owners, stuff like knowing where the water and gas shutoffs were.it wasn't like they expected people to be able to rebuild civilization with their bare hands or such.
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