Do you really think "the Big One" is coming? (Los Angeles: 2013, construction)

[starfighter]

Or is it just another exaggerated prediction of a catastrophe? What do you think? Are you preparing? Tell me all about it!

[saibot]

Eventually there will be another large earthquake in Southern California. It could be today, or it could be in 200 years.

What do I think? I think that I've already had 46 great years of living in SoCal. During that time I've experienced many small earthquakes and one fairly large one (Whittier Narrows, on 10/2/1987) and I'm still in one piece. I'm not going to freak out and leave because a larger quake might happen in my lifetime.

I don't like earthquakes, but I'm not obsessed about them the way people from other states frankly sometimes seem to be. ("I'm scared to visit California; there might be an earthquake!" "How can you live there; I would never live in a place where there were earthquakes every month!")

Am I "preparing"? Understand that preparing for an earthquake is not like preparing for a hurricane. There are certain things you do when you know a hurricane is coming, that you might not normally do. Earthquakes are not like that. What we are is prepared for an earthquake, as much as possible. This means that you keep a certain amount of food and water on hand, all the time. You bolt your large furniture to the wall, and you don't place heavy objects over beds or couches where they might fall on people. You know how to turn off your gas and water. And beyond that type of constant "preparedness," which does not mean constant worry and obsession, you just go on living your life.

[sourdough]

You post a lot of broad questions, by your stats. What is "the big one" ? You being in Florida especially. Means different things to different folks. Is it hurricane, heart attack, fire, flood, alligator. God!

[Blimp]

New buildings in the earthquake zones of California (San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, etc.) are built to be quite impervious to 99.999% of earthquakes these days. Old construction, not so much.

There is no need to prepare in San Diego or Sacramento or in a lot the rest of the state further inland, as those areas aren't in earthquake zones.

[kettlepot]

Yes, the big one is coming. However, it won't be particularly close to me. Therefore, I'm not worried about it.

An 8.0 in LA will probably feel like a 5.5 in San Diego, and 5.5 may not even get me out of my chair. From experience, I know that 4.5s don't get me out of bed.

As for emergencies, water is probably the only thing that matters in the short term, and you can always attach a hose to the hot water tank.

[genjy]

Non-Californians seem waayy too obsessed about CA and earthquakes for sure.

Like almost all of the quakes we have are non-events. I don't even remember the last time I felt a sizeable "Did you feel that?" earthquake... 2-3 years ago?

The last earthquake I experienced that did truly significant damage was the Northridge Quake 21 years ago.

Yeah, some kind of "big one" might hit while I am still alive, but I guess I will let non-Californians worry about that for me.

[MtnSurfer]

When will the next alligator bite your leg off!?! Think about it. Better yet, create a thread about. How about the next super hurricane? When will it wipe out FL? It could happen, right?

[sourdough]

Exactly

[RosieSD]

I've lived in Southern California for 30 years. I worry more about wild fires than I do about "the big one" hitting soon. Large earthquakes are more rare than wild fires here.

That said, we have always had a basic emergency kit tucked away in a storage shed so that we are prepared for emergencies. But, I had one when I lived in New York too.

[luv my dayton]

Scientists have predicted a major earthquake way sooner than 200 yrs.