Our Wake-Up Call... A Guide For Earthquake Preparedness

I look at the disaster in Japan as nothing less than a major wake-up call for all of us in California. We need to take what happened in Japan seriously and get ourselves prepared for our disaster. As much as we like to ignore or deny the facts, we are destined for some sort of trembler.

While some of us are lucky enough to live in modern up to code buildings, there are plenty of others who reside in beautiful and historically older structures. Realizing that my 1927 building may not be totally up to surviving the 'Big One', I decided this past weekend that I needed to get my family prepared. I have heard the wake-up call and I am finally listening. Luckily for me, it is not too late. However, I believe that if at this moment we don't take the steps to get prepared, we may all pay the price when the big shaker comes.

Therefore, I am taking time in this week's blog to provide some recommendations and leads that will help all of us prepare for an emergency.

I have scoured the internet for the best lists (in my opinion) of what makes up an optimal Earthquake Preparedness Kit. While there are plenty of websites out there willing to sell you a survival kit, I believe that the best kit is the one made by YOU your family. This way it can be tailored to your specific needs and requirements.

The Essentials: Water, Food, First Aid Supplies, Extra Clothes, Blankets, Shoes, Flashlights, Important Documents and Sanitation Supplies are a must. Make sure you pack a supply of any medications that may be specific to your family.

This article from the SF Gate gives a comprehensive breakdown of each of these categories:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/earthquakes/archive/ready.dtl&ao=all

For an interactive site that helps you prepare for everything, from your dogs to your gas range check out 72Hours: http://72hours.org/index.html
This interactive site took a little of the stress out of the preparedness process and allowed me to be more specific as to the needs of my family.

Lastly, the most comprehensive and dare I say retentive list I found was 'Equipped to Survive':
http://www.equipped.com/earthqk.htm
This list includes things like mosquito nets and pocket chainsaws. It may be a little overboard but better safe than sorry.

I highly recommend that you review all 3 sites and create a kit of your own based on all the recommendations.

Store your Survival Kit in a plastic container in your basement or somewhere accessible in case of an emergency. The plastic container will keep the rodents from getting inside as well as water or moisture from getting in.

Most importantly, remember to update your kit once a year with fresh supplies. Remember, medicine and food go bad. It would be a calamity if you went to retrieve your kit only to find that the food went bad and your asthma medicine has expired.

I hope this not so exciting or fun email helps someone out there get a little more prepared for a disaster. Of course you know how these things work, the more prepared you are, the less chance of anything happening.