Disaster preparedness (earthquakes, etc.) (Los Angeles, Long Beach: vacation home, tornado, earthquake)

[SandyCo]

Like many others, I've been watching the devastation unfold on the east coast for a few days now. The long lines at the gas stations, people going "dumpster diving" for food, etc. all add up to an astonishing number of people who didn't prepare for Hurricane (or Super Storm) Sandy. People refused to evacuate, and now they're stranded until the water recedes.

This thread says it all:

//www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...-actually.html

Earthquakes don't give a warning. We should all be as prepared as possible ALL the time! Everyone needs to have at least a week's supply of non-perishable food and water. Flashlights, batteries, etc. I even have a two-person tent just in case my building is condemned and I have to shelter in my local park temporarily.

I need to take my own advice now, and stock up.

[SunnyTXsmile]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

Like many others, I've been watching the devastation unfold on the east coast for a few days now. The long lines at the gas stations, people going "dumpster diving" for food, etc. all add up to an astonishing number of people who didn't prepare for Hurricane (or Super Storm) Sandy. People refused to evacuate, and now they're stranded until the water recedes.

This thread says it all:

//www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...-actually.html

Earthquakes don't give a warning. We should all be as prepared as possible ALL the time! Everyone needs to have at least a week's supply of non-perishable food and water. Flashlights, batteries, etc. I even have a two-person tent just in case my building is condemned and I have to shelter in my local park temporarily.

I need to take my own advice now, and stock up.

That's if following the earthquake there isn't flooding due to a tsunami caused by the earthquake, rampant fires from the downed buildings in the earthquake (such as what happened in SF), etc.

And while I was affected by Super Storm Sandy, I absolutely agree that more people should have heeded the warnings to evacuate. I think the problem was, it's not as common for a hurricane to hit so far up north as Sandy did, so a lot of people didn't know what they were getting into. Luckily, we did.

What really gets me is that every time I'm in Manhattan I say, one big storm and this place is screwed. Everyone thought I was nuts, until this week. Now officials are talking about putting in better infrastructure to help the city sustain a storm better in the future. Really? It took a catastrophe for someone to act on the obvious? Better late than never, I suppose.

Also, with New Orleans, my ex wanted me to visit there with him. I would have been there when that disaster broke, had my common sense not told me that it's foolish to spit it mother nature's face and say, the heck with you, I'm going to build a city below sea level. He and I debated back and forth about going, but I wasn't budging. And good thing I didn't, or we would have been two more Katrina victims. My friends later thanked me for refusing to go.

I don't believe you should live your life in fear, however, I believe in having common sense, respecting mother nature, being as prepared as you can (within reason), then carrying on with life. I still intend to live in "earthquake country" and have a vacation home in "hurricane country", but I plan to be as smart about it as I possibly can, and hope for the best.

[CA4Now]

You're right. It seems that after every earthquake we have in greater L.A., we all stock up with water, batteries, blankets, extra shoes in our cars, etc, and then.....forget about it. I just found a box in the garage with plastic water jugs that are 4 years old, covered with dust.

Thanks for the reminder.

[Charles]

I agree we should all be prepared. I am. I keep maybe a half dozen gallons of drinking water in my garage and we have a huge stocked pantry anyway.

It would have to be a really big earthquake to seriously impact a lot of people in Southern California. We're talking knocking out the aqueducts, taking out some of the drinking water reservoirs, ... that sort of thing. The SF/Oakland World Series Earthquake was pretty bad too - still, I don't think too many people were isolated for more than a few hours - though that quake was quite a distance from the urban Bay Area.

While the Northridge and Sylmar quakes were moderate (less than 7.0), I don't think one person was ever hungry or thirsty. Within a couple of miles of the hardest hit areas (Granada Hills and northern Northridge) things were practically normal within a few hours. Even if your home was condemned or destroyed, the Red Cross and other agencies are there pretty fast setting up relief stations.

Charles's Hierarchy of Needs: 1) Broadband, 2) Air, 3) Water, 4) Food, 4) Shelter

[ccm123]

Thanks for the message, I am stocked up here.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by ccm123

Thanks for the message, I am stocked up here.

I'll just come over to your house then.


TTZ - The Shelter [1|3] - YouTube

[SunnyTXsmile]

Originally Posted by Charles

I agree we should all be prepared. I am. I keep maybe a half dozen gallons of drinking water in my garage and we have a huge stocked pantry anyway.

It would have to be a really big earthquake to seriously impact a lot of people in Southern California. We're talking knocking out the aqueducts, taking out some of the drinking water reservoirs, ... that sort of thing. The SF/Oakland World Series Earthquake was pretty bad too - still, I don't think too many people were isolated for more than a few hours - though that quake was quite a distance from the urban Bay Area.

While the Northridge and Sylmar quakes were moderate (less than 7.0), I don't think one person was ever hungry or thirsty. Within a couple of miles of the hardest hit areas (Granada Hills and northern Northridge) things were practically normal within a few hours. Even if your home was condemned or destroyed, the Red Cross and other agencies are there pretty fast setting up relief stations.

Charles's Hierarchy of Needs: 1) Broadband, 2) Air, 3) Water, 4) Food, 4) Shelter

In my area, I'd agree. But those in Staten Island would strongly disagree. We had multiple Red Cross and various disaster relief stations here before Sandy even hit, yet it's been 5 days and Staten Island isn't expected to even get a visit until this morning (and that's only an assessment). Who knows when relief will be brought in.

And look how poorly Katrina was handled. Not to say you can't rely on assistance (our area was simply amazing with timely evacuations, as well as restorations; while others are still suffering), but I wouldn't put all my cookies in that basket.

[Chicano3000X]

Still waiting for the twisters since that 2004 disaster movie is comming true..

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Chicano3000X

Still waiting for the twisters since that 2004 disaster movie is comming true..

Funny you wrote that...We moved to Huntsville Alabama for two years back in 2008. One day, January 19th, 2010, talk about ironic, there was a tornado in Huntington Beach and an earthquake near us in Huntsville.

Tornado Strikes Long Beach, Huntington Beach in Los Angeles


Earthquake tremor near Huntsville, Al | al.com

[Chicano3000X]

Originally Posted by Charles

Funny you wrote that...We moved to Huntsville Alabama for two years back in 2008. One day, January 19th, 2010, talk about ironic, there was a tornado in Huntington Beach and an earthquake near us in Huntsville.

Tornado Strikes Long Beach, Huntington Beach in Los Angeles


Earthquake tremor near Huntsville, Al | al.com

Go home nature, your drunk