Earthquake prep
NShore.Allen, Sat Jul 06 2019, 03:38PM

Since no one seems to browse the C.E.R.T. section, I thought I'd start it here.

The odds that you will be near the epicenter is quite small as earthquakes tend to be localized. This does not mean you won't be effected and the events of the last couple days have me revisiting our emergency plan.

Here is the FEMA website that talks about earthquake preparedness. Cal Tech, USGS and others are good sources for info.

[Click Here]

You are encouraged to participate in the annual California ShakeOut state-wide earthquake drill. The next is October 17. See the website for all sorts of information

[Click Here]


Re: Earthquake prep
Tlingit, Sat Jul 06 2019, 06:16PM

I've browsed the C.E.R.T. section, there are useful things to be found. I also encourage everyone to participate in the CA shakeout. My wife and I, are actively involved every year. Thanks for the links NShore.

Re: Earthquake prep
ArchJohn, Sun Jul 07 2019, 03:18PM

I think one of the things to consider is, how will we stay warm in the winter if the gas lines rupture, and our chimney collapses? Thinking of an indoor propane space heater here, and stock up on these 20# propane containers.

Re: Earthquake prep
Quakes🦊, Sun Jul 07 2019, 04:43PM

I am an active participant each year. I would encourage everyone to load up on gallons of water, canned foods, and other needs. It's bad enough that I don't have a cell phone. My folks' jobs are on the other side of the SAF. I'm up here and have no means of transportation myself. This is 5 days out of the week, so there is a higher likelihood of it happening during the work week. I wonder how long it will take them to reach me if they are blocked from the rockslides.

Re: Earthquake prep
Tlingit, Sun Jul 07 2019, 07:48PM

ArchJohn is right. It won't always be fair weather during a disaster. Water, and food, we've read the ratios for what we need. Don't forget our medications and sanitary supplies. Toilet paper and cheap booze will be great commodities. More importantly, let's not forget our pets need things like food, water, and medicine also. My water heater is a 90 gallon and a good source of h2o. I have a solar charger for small ham radio, batteries, and cell if it works. 99cent store solar yard lights will work better than candles. Guns and ammo.. touchy subject for some but believe me... one week without food and people start to look to sustain their loved ones. Invited neighbors are mostly good insurance unless they bring nothing to the table. A blazing bbq heating Vienna sausages will invite lots o company. Etc.. etc.. let's be prepared everyone. 1 last thing on medications. Just because they're expired, doesn't mean they're not useful. They may lose potency but better than not having. But like canned food, it's only a suggestion and the decision is ultimately yours.

Re: Earthquake prep
BootsNBridles, Sun Jul 07 2019, 08:09PM

Remember- all the stored water in the world won't help you if it freezes.... If you have a well make sure your generator is hooked up to it and you have fuel for the generator.

Re: Earthquake prep
BootsNBridles, Sun Jul 07 2019, 08:12PM



The rockslides are the least of your worries. The failed road and freeway system will be more of a problem. I'll also bet your folks don't carry extra gas cans with them to work. People inside any metropolitan area need to decide if they are hunkering down in place or making a run for it. Quakes? I suggest you become self-sufficient and just assume your parents are going to be out of the equation.

Re: Earthquake prep
mountainart, Sun Jul 07 2019, 08:26PM

absolute necessity, is a small boxwood stove, with enough stovepipe to vent, and make a couple of rooms you can close off, and turn into an insulated living area, if you don't have one already. We spent this last entire winter in a temp container home, as we are building our log cabin, with a Vozelgang boxwood stove as our only heat source, that we also cooked on used about 1 cord of hardwood, kept us nice and toasty, and when the electeicity went out those couple of times, we didn't care, as it needs no electricity( like a pellet stove would need). It was a great feeling to not have to worry about freezing.

Re: Earthquake prep
Quakes🦊, Sun Jul 07 2019, 09:02PM




Oh, yes.

Re: Earthquake prep
Tlingit, Sun Jul 07 2019, 09:13PM

[quote]
Remember- all the stored water in the world won't help you if it freezes....

Boots... search YouTube for DIY solar oven. Quite easy to melt ice in the winter. Especially if it's snow. Many of these home made ovens are simple to make.. saw one made with a what looked like an old satellite dish. Maybe use aluminum foil? It'd be great for boiling water and the like I suppose.

Re: Earthquake prep
BootsNBridles, Sun Jul 07 2019, 11:10PM

[quote]
[quote]
Remember- all the stored water in the world won't help you if it freezes....

Boots... search YouTube for DIY solar oven. Quite easy to melt ice in the winter. Especially if it's snow. Many of these home made ovens are simple to make.. saw one made with a what looked like an old satellite dish. Maybe use aluminum foil? It'd be great for boiling water and the like I suppose.
[/quote1562566204]

Agreed. And water expands when it freezes, and if you don't account for that it breaks containers. :-) Just throwing out things for people to consider when prepping.

Re: Earthquake prep
SSJ2012, Mon Jul 08 2019, 07:48AM

One thing we do is purchase canned foods, than replace those canned foods once a year donating the older cans to local food banks well before the expiration date. Also water storage containers can be found on amazon cheaper than buying bottled water, just make sure to cycle your water. Also never store water in direct sunlight as it will break the plastic down.

Re: Earthquake prep
©ammy, Mon Jul 08 2019, 09:14PM


How often do you recommend doing that? Once a year? Every other year? Probably more frequently than every 6 years like I noticed on my bottles yesterday?

Re: Earthquake prep
Quakes🦊, Tue Jul 09 2019, 02:00PM

I get afraid of being without running water after this happens where we can't bathe or flush the toilet. People would have to be going in portable toilets, which I hope would be screwed to the foundation. It would suck to have to use an outhouse. We can pretend like we're camping, but all those flies?? Gross! It would be a problem if it happened during the Winter as well when the weather would be freezing and inclement.

Re: Earthquake prep
ButlerPeakFire, Wed Jul 10 2019, 06:48AM




Get a composting toilet. Not nearly as many flies and alot more efficient.

Re: Earthquake prep
Tlingit, Wed Jul 10 2019, 09:50AM

8 to 10 inch deep hole x 6 inch wide. sprinkle lye after each use, should control flies. Or a composting toilet as BPF suggested.
Cammy.. I bought a Blue 55 gallon food grade barrel for my water needs. Change every 5 years and add a water preserver. Since plastic is porous, I've read not to keep bottles in the garage if that's where you keep your car. Exhaust fumes.

Re: Earthquake prep
©ammy, Sat Jul 13 2019, 08:32PM


Thanks. I keep some 5 gallon bottles in the house & some in our shed. My thinking is: if the shed gets crushed by a falling tree or something else, I still have some in the house. And vice versa - if the ones in the house get crushed by the chimney falling, hopefully the ones in the shed don't get crushed too. Of course, if all the bottles in both locations get crushed, then it's a long walk to the lake if I'm not squished.


Re: Earthquake prep
ArchJohn, Mon Jul 15 2019, 02:45PM

A bit OT: there has been a series of earthquakes starting with the North Palm Springs quake (1986, M 6.0, on a portion of the San Andreas), then Landers (1992, M 7.3), then Hector Mine (1999, M 7.1), and finally Searles Valley (2019, M 7.1). All in a roughly linear fashion and in sequence. One school of thought I came across is that part of the San Andreas is "locked", so taking the path of least resistant, a new fault is being formed along the locations I mention above. Thoughts?

Re: Earthquake prep
©ammy, Mon Jul 15 2019, 07:29PM

If Wikipedia has the coordinates correct for these 4 earthquakes' epicenters, then here's what they look like on a map:

(click on image to enlarge)



Re: Earthquake prep
ArchJohn, Tue Jul 16 2019, 07:33AM

That looks right; it starts at the bottom and works its way up to Ridgecrest. I suppose faults DO curve?

Re: Earthquake prep
MrOwl, Tue Jul 16 2019, 07:54AM

Looks like the military is involved

Re: Earthquake prep
Quakes🦊, Mon Jul 29 2019, 11:10AM

I'm sorry that I have not been that active on here lately. I've had other things going on. I also did not really have much else to say lately. I'm monitoring the activity and there may be more going on.

Re: Earthquake prep
Socalman, Tue Jul 30 2019, 05:57AM



We have several of the 6 gallon water storage jugs at our home down the hill. I change the water about every 6 to 8 months. When I do rotate it out, I mark the date on the container. I noticed that when the containers were new they would pick up a little plastic taste. Now that they have been in service for years I do not notice any taste. Still, 6 months is a good time frame. I add a teaspoon of unscented chlorine bleach to the container.


Re: Earthquake prep
Quakes🦊, Wed Jul 31 2019, 08:46AM

I also am vigilant on the earthquake activity worldwide and have been for years. More large activity in the world may be on the rise again. A magnitude 6.6 just occurred in the Vanuatu region. I'm also eyeing Greece and the Mediterranean region. There has been more activity than usual going on there.

Re: Earthquake prep
Tibia w6ajo, Wed Jul 31 2019, 09:43AM

Although we live dth, emergency water storage should not be a problem (hopefully...). We have 4 55 gallon blue water barrels strapped together so as to increase their footprint and overall lateral stability. Once a month, we drain and refill one barrel with fresh water and 1/4 cup of plain household bleach. Unfortunately they do sit in the sun.

Re: Earthquake prep
Socalman, Thu Aug 01 2019, 07:18AM

Too many people feel that they can not afford to have a stock of earthquake supplies on hand. Start SMALL. Take baby steps. Think of having a few items in a plastic storage bin that will ONLY be there in an emergency. Some work gloves. a flashlight and fresh batteries, a few very basic first aid items, a wrench or means to shut off the gas supply to your home. A hammer, a box of medium size nails and a plastic tarp and rope can be used to construct a temporary shelter. (That won't be enough in winter in Big Bear, but can certainly help!

Water. Water. Water. Buy two one gallon jugs of water at the store. Use a permanent marker and date them with the purchase date. You should eventually have at least 1 gallon of water per person, per day for a minimum of 7 days. You do not have to buy it all at once.

Begin to stock up on some canned foods. In an emergency you need calories and protein. Buy an extra can of tuna, canned chicken or other meats each time you go to the store. A one pound bag of rice will last several meals, as will dried beans. Buy an extra bag of pasta and canned spaghetti sauce. Perhaps add a can of canned fruit that will have sugar and calories.

By just adding small amounts to your "prep items" each trip to the store you will build up a substantial supply in a matter of months.

One last item but very important, have a means to cook and boil water. It can be a single burner camp stove or a gas grill. The grill will be pretty inefficient if you just want to boil some water but can be used.

Good luck. Begin by being ready for 3 days, then a week, then 3 weeks, then for 3 months.



Re: Earthquake prep
Quakes🦊, Thu Aug 01 2019, 11:51AM

There was a magnitude 6.8 near the Central coast of Chile just now.

Re: Earthquake prep
Quakes🦊, Thu Aug 01 2019, 12:34PM




The good news so far is that there have been no immediate reports of damage, injuries, or loss of life. Chileans must be so used to sizeable earthquakes.

Re: Earthquake prep
ArchJohn, Thu Aug 01 2019, 04:53PM



And what does this have to do with the subject of this thread, which is earthquake prep?


Re: Earthquake prep
Quakes🦊, Thu Aug 01 2019, 07:11PM



Oops, sorry. I just now saw that this was the wrong thread. I meant to share that in the thread about earthquakes in general.

Re: Earthquake prep
NShore.Allen, Tue Jul 14 2020, 03:55PM

Here's an interesting story: San Andreas earthquake possibility has increased

[Click Here]

Re: Earthquake prep
Dave™, Tue Jul 14 2020, 08:08PM

I thought that what Lucy Jones tweeted was classic:

Context. The chance of a San Andreas quake is up slightly,
IF a Garlock quake happens because of Ridgecrest, and
IF this model is correct. It's elegant, but assumes a reason for quake triggering that is not consensus.

The possibility of a San Andreas quake AT ANY TIME should already be part of your planning or you shouldn't be in California.

Re: Earthquake prep
Deb Doodah, Tue Jul 14 2020, 08:24PM

With all the hoarding people have been doing, they will have enough tp if it doesn’t all fall over during the quake. 😀

Re: Earthquake prep
Hooky Bobber, Wed Jul 15 2020, 06:29AM

A stir stick in the cupboard door handles

Re: Earthquake prep
Quakes🦊, Sun Jan 10 2021, 01:02PM

One of the worst things I heard about after the next San Andreas earthquake here is how we could lose plumbing, meaning the toilets won't flush and we can't take a shower. I would get the heck out of town and go somewhere else that has plumbing. I also would go crazy without internet lol

Re: Earthquake prep
NShore.Allen, Sun Jan 10 2021, 02:30PM



Great topic that no one wants to think about. Sanitation is often overlooked.. If a quake is large enough to knock out plumbing, the internet will be the least of your worries. Here's info from the CDC [Click Here] maybe TMI


Re: Earthquake prep
mountainart, Sun Jan 10 2021, 05:02PM

each person should have a portable straw style water filter in their car. What if you get stuck by multiple rockfall on either side of you, and it is too unstable to try to cross. There are at least 3 annually flowing water springs along Arctic Circle. You would be in good condition, if you at least had endless potable water supply.

Re: Earthquake prep
Benny ⭐, Sun Jan 10 2021, 05:43PM


True, but you could also hike out in a couple of hours. I know of some people who go fill their 5-gallon water jugs from those springs, most have been tested and are clean enough to drink without filtration, if things got that bad. Those purifying straws never hurt, good to have around!