One thing about earthquakes is that there is no way to know when or where the next one will come. There is the knowledge of where they have been and where they are likely to hit. Fault lines can be known; but when a big one like hit Chile, New Zealand or Japan will happen, that cannot be determined at all.
and it is but it might not be in San Francisco. It might be in the middle of the United States where the New Madrid fault led to one of the worst in US history, with loss of life minimized because of how few people lived in the area as it was when the disastrous one hit off the coast of Oregon over 300 years ago.
Pretty much anywhere humans live there have been quakes and will be again which will vary as to how damaging. It pays to have some preparation in mind knowing that in some cases it won't be enough. We just have to do what we can. Suggestions from-- Be Red Cross Ready.
I have been in a few quakes and dropping to the ground is exactly what I felt the need to do. Awhile back there was an email that circulated from a supposed safety expert about what he called the triangle of life which was that you don't get under something but instead beside it as say an automobile might be crushed but alongside it would be protected. I wondered about that as what about debris falling but then checked it out on [Snopes] before writing this and from their research, it sounds like his credentials (as happens so often with emails) are suspect.
Definitely if someone is near the ocean (which can be as much as 60 miles inland on estuaries) and a big quake happens, you do not wait but as soon as the shaking stops, you head for higher ground. In Japan, where that quake hit, there was none. Then, there really is nothing anybody can do except wait. For the rest of us though, having water on hand, emergency food supplies, those are the things we should do and keep up to date. Disasters don't wait for invitations.
Each person probably has their favorite charity for such a time as this. Ours has been Mercy Corps. They are forwarding donations for Japan to their long-time partner-- Peace Winds. The main thing is to get help to people as soon as we can because it could be us next. The world pulls together at such times US Troops, USS Ronald Reagan arrive in Japan .
Japan and its people are special to so many in the United States with the exchange student programs, travel, business, and sister city programs. Almost all of us know someone who lives there, has lived there, has family there. From being a one-time enemy, they are today a partner and friend; so across this country our hearts go out to them and what they face to recover from this disaster. It's not even just the earthquake and tsunami, which are tragic enough, but also the nuclear plants which even if there is no major meltdown, there will be a huge loss of power for all their industries and homes.
AND as an addition to concerns here, one of the regular commenters, Robert the Skeptic, to many blogs including mine, who has his blog in my blog roll alongside here, (who Farm Boss and he had lunch not that long ago) will be having heart surgery tomorrow. Plead Ignorance-- The Skeptic's Leap of Faith.
The scenes in Japan are horrific. I pray that when the big one hits us here, it will be a few hundred years from now, and no one I care about will be here to suffer. :( Not a very good hope, is it?
ReplyDeleteOur thoughts for wellness and healing for Robert.
ReplyDeleteA large earthquake on the New Madrid fault would be catastrophic because the buildings and bridges are not built for earthquakes like they are in California. But a mega earthquake with a Tsunami like they just had in Japan is really only likely to hit the US between Mendocino CA and British Columbia. That is the only place we have a fault of that type. Yes other places may get large destructive quakes, but not likely to ever be over 8.0. Portland and Seattle are actually in more danger from the big one than SF or LA.
ReplyDeleteI am wishing Robert a speedy and full recovery.
Yes, we in So. Cal. are very familiar with earthquakes, too. It's easy for us to become complacent in our precautionary preparations.
ReplyDeleteThe events in Japan are terrible. There is nothing that can emulate the fury of Mother Nature. My prayers are with the Japanese people.
ReplyDeleteWatching CNN yesterday I saw that some of the people survived the tsunami by being in a well constructed school building, maybe one not right on the coast, of course, but that might be what someone could do if in flat ground and a city-- get into the biggest well constructed building they could think of.
ReplyDeleteMy dh commented that the Earth is a living being and doesn't even know we are here. Puts it into perspective, doesn't it. Peace, Julie
ReplyDeleteyes, it does, Julie. We don't take into account what has happened before either as we build and try to put up dikes or dams which can eventually fail and back to blaming nature. We build in a desert, expect there to always be enough water and forget about droughts. And on it goes. The nature of humans which doesn't like taking into account the nature of the earth.
ReplyDeleteSending good healing thoughts to Robert. Hope all goes well.
ReplyDeleteThe scope of the disaster in Japan has absolutely rendered me speechless. I've been in two earthquakes, a 6.0 and a 7.1, but the magnitude of this one is so profoundly powerful, it is hard to conceive of such shaking. To be followed by a tsunami that swallowed most things in its path, is a devastation that reminds us of our smallness on earth.
((Holding Robert in my heart))
ReplyDeleteI have also been reminding folks it's time to re-build our individual emergency supplies. Clean water! Medications! Easily eaten canned food! Sturdy shoes!
I, too, realize that if one has to 'head for the hills' at a moments notice, not much can be done but do it. But we can't prepare for everything, and we can prepare for some, and we should.
blessings to you, Rain.
I know a lot of people in Oregon are rethinking (or finally thinking about) their emergency plans;.
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