Earthquake preparedness

[Stephen Yeoh]

I'm fairly new to California, so this is a topic of interest to me as I'm not sure that I would know how to respond correctly in the event of an earthquake. I just found out that an earthquake drill for California is being planned in November. If this is of interest to you, please check out

http://www.shakeout.org/

[Tom Denham]

I forgot you're a Earth quake newbie.

[Jeff Shyu]

you're..



stop - drop - and roll, right?

the idea of a big quake in socal is pretty scary though. I remember our seismic teacher in college explaining how bad the toll would be if it happened during a work day, work hours. downtown LA would basically get flattened.

[Will Kalman]

Remember go stand in a doorway!

You know, 'cause you've seen all those pictures of collapsed buildings with intact doorways standing in the rubble, right? Right?

[Bob Beamesderfer]

you're..



stop - drop - and roll, right?

the idea of a big quake in socal is pretty scary though. I remember our seismic teacher in college explaining how bad the toll would be if it happened during a work day, work hours. downtown LA would basically get flattened.

A 7.0 on the Newport-Inglewood fault would make Northridge look like a picnic.

[Kurt Rahn]

stop - drop - and roll, right?

Uhhhhhh, I thought that was if you caught fire. I think a quake is drop and cover. Will's doorway suggestion is right on. The other thing to keep in mind is to stay away from windows/glass as much as possible. Flying shards...not a good thing.

[Steve Ekstrand]

When in doubt....

PANIC!!!

I was a few miles a way from the epicenter of the Joshua Tree quake. Trust me the doorway will seriously kick your ass in a big quake.

I suggest your bed is the safest place in a big quake.

I would also suggest living in California, making sure that heavy things won't fall on your safe bed zone.

So, Stephen, take that big mirror off the ceiling.

And if you happen to be going at it when the big one hits, she's bound to tell you how you rock her world.

[Jeff Shyu]

i need to reevaluate my joke delivery.

this is the 3rd time today where my humor just skidded right off the surface, and people thought i was serious.. >_<

[Bob Beamesderfer]

stop - drop - and roll, right?

Uhhhhhh, I thought that was if you caught fire. I think a quake is drop and cover. Will's doorway suggestion is right on. The other thing to keep in mind is to stay away from windows/glass as much as possible. Flying shards...not a good thing.

The door way is a poor place to be. Quakes can slam the door and it's not really that sturdy a spot. Best to get under something sturdy, according to the Red Cross.

[Steve Ekstrand]

I couldn't make it in the doorway. Bracing yourself in was too violent, and the door whacked me a couple of times. I was big enough it wasn't going to slam shut on me or something like that, but I quickly became apparently that the doorway choice I grew up with was fine for quakes so small you really need to do nothing. And no good for quakes strong enough that there truly is a risk the house is going to come down. Bed. I thought it was stupid until I experienced it.

And running out of the house, assuming you could make it that far in a big one, is frought with problems. Often roof tiles, porches and overhangs will be dropping on your head! And you can't believe the debris on the ground. If you're barefoot, you're going to be really hurt.

[Bob Beamesderfer]

I couldn't make it in the doorway. Bracing yourself in was too violent, and the door whacked me a couple of times. I was big enough it wasn't going to slam shut on me or something like that, but I quickly became apparently that the doorway choice I grew up with was fine for quakes so small you really need to do nothing. And no good for quakes strong enough that there truly is a risk the house is going to come down. Bed. I thought it was stupid until I experienced it.

And running out of the house, assuming you could make it that far in a big one, is frought with problems. Often roof tiles, porches and overhangs will be dropping on your head! And you can't believe the debris on the ground. If you're barefoot, you're going to be really hurt.

The instinct to get out of the building is natural, but not a good idea unless the place is on fire.

During the Northridge quake I didn't think about running out of the 1921 Long Beach apartment I was living in. I stood in the bedroom doorway hoping the damn shaking would stop. I knew there was risk of crap falling off the outside of any building but that, and running into the street at 4:30 a.m., didn't even cross my mind.

[Pat O\'Neal]

Some may have heard about the "Triangle Of Life" concept by one Doug Copp which advises that rather than getting under something, you lay next to it. Seems plausable, but here is a Snopes article that at least partially refutes it. My personal method is to recite lines from Caddyshack while swinging a rubber chicken over my head. It's worked so far!

[Bob Beamesderfer]

I looked at the Snopes article. I don't think the "Triangle of Life" is any more infallible than getting under something sturdy. A metal desk as opposed to Aunt Millie's antique dining table sounds about right. YSRMV

[Steve Ekstrand]

How about a roll cage for your house?

[Jeff Shyu]

How about a roll cage for your house?

too inefficient.. what if you weren't in the house?..

what we need, are roll cages for our body...

[Jayson Woodruff]

what we need, are roll cages for our body...

Or...



Jay W

[Kurt Rahn]

ROTFLMAO

[Jeff Shyu]

either marshall or aaron MUST have a copy of the halloween costume..

[Marshall Grice]

either marshall or aaron MUST have a copy of the halloween costume..

Uh...hopefully all those pics have been lost.

ZOLTAN!

[Aaron Goldsmith]

either marshall or aaron MUST have a copy of the halloween costume..

Uh...hopefully all those pics have been lost.

ZOLTAN!

I asked john for them about an hour ago, says he found them the other day.