Every Life Secure!

Handbook for Earthquakes in the Central United States - How to Prepare for Devastating Earthquakes if You Live in the Central U.S.

The U.S. Geological Survey recently published Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country—Your Handbook for Earthquakes in the Central United States.

As indicated in the summary of this USGS publication:

"This handbook provides information to residents of the Central United States about the threat of earthquakes in that area, particularly along the New Madrid seismic zone, and explains how to prepare for, survive, and recover from such events. It explains the need for concern about earthquakes for those residents and describes what one can expect during and after an earthquake. Much is known about the threat of earthquakes in the Central United States, including where they are likely to occur and what can be done to reduce losses from future earthquakes, but not enough has been done to prepare for future earthquakes. The handbook describes such preparations that can be taken by individual residents before an earthquake to be safe and protect property."

If you live in the central United States (as I do) please download and read this earthquake handbook to understand how to be prepared for the potentially devastating earthquakes for which we are at risk.

 
This earthquake handbook was developed in cooperation with the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC), the Association of CUSEC State Geologists (Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee), the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI), and the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC).

You may want to read my prior post on the earthquake hazard in the central United States.

Every Life Secure

Food and Water STORAGE or Food and Water SHORTAGE? The Choice is Yours BEFORE a Disaster, Not AFTER

With continued food and water shortages in Japan due to the earthquake, tsunami, and radiation leaks, we are reminded once again of the need for emergency food and water storage.  My first typhoon taught me that after a disaster, the store shelves will be bare.  He who waits until AFTER the disaster to stock up on food and water will compete with the whole world in a panic.

The simple reality is...If you are hit by disaster and do not have a family STORAGE of food and water, you will experience a family SHORTAGE of food and water.  No amount of money will buy you what simply is not available due to lack of supply or inability to deliver to your neighborhood.

So now is a good time to reconsider if you have an adequate supply of food and water to last you for at least 3 days and ideally for much longer.  Adjust what you store to the amount of space you have and to your budget.  Most of us can easily store at least three days of water (a gallon of water per person per day as encouraged by FEMA) and food.

It is a choice... STORAGE or SHORTAGE.  You will decide by your action or inaction BEFORE a disaster, but not AFTER.

Every Life Secure

Should California Residents Be Preparing Their Earthquake Kits for the "Big One"?

I am always very careful about any information I see regarding the prediction of earthquakes. I passed up the opportunity to feature a YouTube video someone sent me the other day in which a former US Geological Survey scientist predicted a major California earthquake this month. I wanted to avoid the natural temptation to hype California fears on the heels of the 9.0 Japanese earthquake and tsunami earlier this month.

However, today I read an article in Newsweek by Simon Winchester (geologist and journalist) titled the Scariest Earthquake Is Yet to Come. In this article he talks about the link among the magnitude-8.8 Chile earthquake of 2010, the New Zealand Earthquake of February 2011, the 9.0 Japanese earthquake of 2011 and a potential future earthquake along the California San Adreas fault. He says speaking of the recent 9.0 Japanese earthquake and tsunami:

"Even more worrisome than geography and topography, though, is geological history. For this event [Japanese earthquake] cannot be viewed in isolation. There was a horrifically destructive Pacific earthquake in New Zealand on Feb. 22, and an even more violent magnitude-8.8 event in Chile almost exactly a year before. All three phenomena involved more or less the same family of circum-Pacific fault lines and plate boundaries—and though there is still no hard scientific evidence to explain why, there is little doubt now that earthquakes do tend to occur in clusters: a significant event on one side of a major tectonic plate is often—not invariably, but often enough to be noticeable—followed some weeks or months later by another on the plate’s far side. It is as though the earth becomes like a great brass bell, which when struck by an enormous hammer blow on one side sets to vibrating and ringing from all over. Now there have been catastrophic events at three corners of the Pacific Plate—one in the northwest, on Friday; one in the southwest, last month; one in the southeast, last year.

That leaves just one corner unaffected—the northeast. And the fault line in the northeast of the Pacific Plate is the San Andreas Fault, underpinning the city of San Francisco.

All of which makes the geological community very apprehensive. All know that the San Andreas Fault is due to rupture one day—it last did so in 1906, and strains have built beneath it to a barely tolerable level. To rupture again, with unimaginable consequences for the millions who live above it, some triggering event has to occur. Now three events have occurred that might all be regarded as triggering events. There are in consequence a lot of thoughtful people in the American West who are very nervous indeed—wondering, as they often must do, whether the consent that permits them to inhabit so pleasant a place might be about to be withdrawn, sooner than they have supposed."

Though no warning or prediction is a reason for panic, it seems that there may indeed be good reason for Californians to make sure that they have an earthquake emergency kit at the ready and make other preparations in case of a major earthquake.

Every Life Secure

What Is It Like After A Major Disaster? - Let's Learn From the Real Experience of Others and Be Prepared

In the effort to encourage people to prepare in advance for a major disaster, the most challenging obstacle to overcome is people's lack of personal experience. Most Americans have never experienced a catastrophic disaster. Therefore, most Americans do not fully comprehend the realities of the aftermath of such a devastating event. Lacking this first hand experience, many of us are challenged to learn from the experience of others.

When the devastating earthquake hit Haiti last year, we saw very little increase in people determining to be prepared. Was this because people just assumed that the impact of a disaster in the United States would be very different than the aftermath of a catastrophe in a third world country such as Haiti?

How quickly we seem to forget the suffering in the United States after Katrina. Yes, you can go hungry and thirsty in America and be left without adequate shelter and access to medications after a major disaster. Some of us learned that lesson without having to live it ourselves. Some of us got better prepared because we understood that what happened in New Orleans could happen elsewhere in the country in a major disaster. Others, sadly, did not see the application of the lesson.

Well, here is one more chance... Like the United States, Japan is one of the most developed countries in the world and has one of its largest economies. It is not a third world country. So read this article to see a first hand account of what it can be like after a major disaster like that experienced in the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. This account made me ask myself once again, "How well prepared am I for a major disaster?"

I've survived more than one disaster, and I know how being prepared can (1) ensure survival and (2) make living through the aftermath a more comfortable and less stressful experience.

Every Life Secure

Why Store Food and Water? Tainted Food and Water in Japan Answer This Question Once Again

Why store food and water? The easy answer is that one cannot be sure of an uninterrupted safe supply of either. Many went thirsty and hungry for the first several days after the catastrophic Japanese earthquake and tsunami. There are still lines outside of grocery stores in some areas. Now, the first signs of contaminated food and water from nuclear fallout are being detected.

I have written about how I learned first hand as a young boy that a disaster can leave you with only what you have on hand at home. It wasn't fun living for two weeks off of what we had in the house (rice and some canned goods) and water gathered in buckets from a local pump house. Most people don't naturally have on-hand more than a few days or perhaps a week's worth of food. In an emergency you might be able to stretch this to two weeks as my family did. However, you start to run short on basics pretty quickly.

It is wise to have both food and water stored in your home. While some people store enough for up to a year, even a few week's supply can make a significant difference in a disaster. With even a small food supply you may have enough to meet your own family's needs and to share with others who may not be as well prepared.

Everyone is capable of keeping some extra food and water. If you store items you naturally eat and rotate through them, you won't have to worry about anything getting old.

Like having a first aid kit, and an emergency preparedness kit, storing some extra food and water is just part of living prudently in today's unsure world.

Every Life Secure

 

 

Japanese Disaster Threatens the United States

I have commented before on the tendency in the United States to pay relatively little attention to disasters that don't happen within the United States. I have noted that a catastrophic earthquake in Pakistan or in some "remote" area of the world causes very little emergency preparedness activity in the United States. In contrast, Katrina, caused tens of thousands for families to perk up, pay attention, and get prepared.

Because of its severity and the close ties that the U.S. has with Japan, many in the U.S. have taken note of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster and are getting an emergency preparedness kit for the first time, replenishing expired items, or taking other steps to improve their preparedness. So there are those who are learning lessons from overseas in this latest round of natural destruction.

But we may find that this particular disaster will have an even more direct impact on the United States than most overseas catastrophes even though it is still an ocean away. Because of the important place that Japan holds in the world economy and its very direct role in the United States economy, our own economic recovery may be threatened by the economic aftershocks of this tragedy in Japan itself. Stock markets are already responding to the threats to global supply chains.

Disruptions to supply chains in manufacturing sector such as automotive, electronics, and aviation could begin to be felt very quickly. In a manufacturing environment that has gotten use to JIT (Just In Time) production, reserve stocks are generally very low. We will begin to feel the impact of the Japanese disaster on our factory floors and showrooms very quickly.

Every disaster we witness brings an opportunity for us to learn and prepare. One of the key learnings is that in this global economy, the disaster of our neighbor can become our own disaster in a very real way. This can be true even is that neighbor lives "across town".

Every Life Secure

 

United States Nuclear Power Plants in Earthquake Zones - Could a "Japanese Style" Nuclear Meltdown Happen in the U.S.?

Thousands of citizens are in nuclear lockdown in their homes near a Japanese nuclear power plant in some stage of nuclear meltdown just days after the horrific 9.0 magnitude earthquake (4th largest in recorded world history) and the accompanying tsunami. Backup systems and safety devices are failing and the plant is now leaking a health threatening level of radiation.

As the news of this nuclear threat has grown steadily worse over the last few days, one has to ask, "How many nuclear power plants and facilities in the United States are located in earthquake zones?" Or more to the point, one might ask, "Could a nuclear meltdown happen in the United States after a powerful earthquake like that in Japan?"

To get the answer to the first question, let's look at a few maps. The first is a map of active nuclear power reactors in the United States (Courtesy the Nuclear Regulatory Commission - NRC), the second a map of earthquake risk zones in the United States:

Very quickly you will notice that there are 4 nuclear power plants located in California in the highest earthquake risk area in the United States. You will also notice that there are numerous areas in the Midwest and the East that have nuclear power plants and are located in earthquake danger zones.

It actually doesn't make me thrilled to find that there are 11 nuclear power plants in Illinois, my home state. Just see this map or go to my previous blog post on the threat of catastrophic earthquakes in the Central United States to see why this makes me concerned.

California isn't the only state with a risk of devastating earthquakes. Many millions of people in the United States live in proximity to nuclear power plants that are built in earthquake zones. This should make me and many others think about what we have done to prepare for the possibility of a radioactive leak from one of these power plants in the event of an earthquake or other devastating event or accident.

So this leads us to the question of, "Is it is possible that we could suffer a meltdown in the United States?" Well, Three Mile Island nuclear accident already got us dangerously close. Could an earthquake trigger a radioactive leak in the United States? I'm quite sure, in an extreme case like we are seeing in Japan, that it could. One need not be an expert to realize that there was a reason that the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in California shut down as a precaution when the tsunami from the Japanese earthquake threatened the West Coast. Earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear power plants are just not a good combination.

To get a more authoritative answer, we turn to Joe Cirincione, a recognized nuclear power expert. He says, "Could this happen in the United States? Yes, this could happen in the United States." According to Cirincione, Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California is "a classic case of a very large nuclear reactor in an area that's seismically active... A large earthquake could knock that reactor out. You could see a core meltdown scenario at that reactor as well."

The bottom line is that, despite all the safety measures and precautions, under the right scenario, we could indeed see a "Japanese Style" nucelar power plant meltdown in the United States. This is just another reason why all of us need to be prepared to evacuate our homes and businesses or shelter-in-place in the case of an emergency or disaster.

Every Life Secure

 

 

Earthquake Kit: Japanese Earthquake Makes Us Ask - - Are We Prepared With the Right Earthquake Kit for Survival In the United States?

Earthquake Survival Priorities...

Priority #1: Make sure that you survive the earthquake.

Priority #2: Make sure your emergency earthquake kit survives the earthquake.

In a severe earthquake, second only to surviving yourself is making sure that your earthquake emergency survival kit makes it through the initial earthquake with your emergency supplies intact.

As we have seen once again in the aftermath of the 8.9 Japanese earthquake (2011) and the tsunamis that followed, after a big earthquake you'll need to be prepared with an earthquake kit to meet your own emergency survival needs for at least 3 days (72 hours) or longer. No government is prepared to immediately meet the needs of its entire population after a devastating earthquake.

 

It is critical then that your emergency supplies be protected from the falling debris that can crush your unprotected earthquake supplies. Your earthquake kit may have adequate emergency supplies to help you survive the first few days after an earthquake, but is it built to survive the initial earthquake and to protect your supplies?

Do you have an earthquake kit that is built to survive the quake and then to help you survive?

MobileAid 3-Day Emergency Earthquake Kits for 1, 2 or 4 people provide crush-resistant protection for your emergency supplies. These kits have a super-durable aircraft grade aluminum frame that can support over 300 lbs, but which weighs less than 9 lbs. This protective frame features a perforated exoskeleton design with secure joints, and chrome-plated screws with shake-proof nylon aircraft lock nuts for extra strength.

These features mean that your emergency supplies will stand a much better chance of making it through a major earthquake undamaged in a MobileAid Emergency Earthquake Kit than will earthquake supplies stored in a regular backpack or plastic bin.

The crush-resistant frame of these MobileAid 3-Day Emergency Earthquake Kits can help get you through the earthquake while these additional features can help you cope with the aftermath until help arrives:

Compact/Comprehensive Emergency kit: emergency–grade supplies recommended by the U.S. Government and numerous others supplies for increased protection and comfort.

Quick–access organization: Emergency preparedness supplies are organized in Quick–Response vinyl–lined pouches with carrying straps. This means that you will be able to quickly identify and access your emergency supplies.

Easy–roll/flexible transport: dual 4" polyurethane wheels aid in rapid–response and climbing curbs or other uneven surfaces with little effort. In an evacuation, it will be much easier to roll your emergency supplies a long distance than it will be to carry them on your back.

Seating and gear-carrying platform: allows for people to be seated to rest and can be used to transport additional equipment and supplies (supports up to 300 lbs). These features can be critical if you are left out-of-doors and have to transport additional belongings as you find suitable shelter.

Easy identification: highly visible orange bag and flashing (red/blue) LED wheels make this earthquake kit bag easy to find and identify in a disaster.

MobileAid Emergency Earthquake Survival Kits provide superior crush protection, mobility, functionality, organization, and design. All of these features together will allow you to respond immediately, effectively and confidently to a major earthquake and its aftermath.

To help you be prepared for an earthquake, see the LifeSecure full line of earthquake preparedness kits and earthquake supplies.

If you are helping to prepare a school, workplace, or other large facility, you may need to provide emergency first aid. MobileAid Multi-function Trauma First Aid Stations featured the same crush-resistant frames as our earthquake kits and provide comprehensive trauma first aid supplies that meet OSHA guidelines and ANSI standards. These stations also feature such practical extras as a flexible stretcher and first aid flag.

MobileAid Emergency Earthquake kits and Emergency Trauma First Aid Stations can help you survive by helping your earthquake supplies survive.

Every Life Secure

 

9.0 Japanese Earthquake Shows the Importance of Having An Emergency Natural Gas Shut-Off Tool

In thinking about what we can learn from the horrible devastation that has followed the largest Japanese earthquake in recorded history, one key take-away is the need for an emergency gas shut-off tool. The images of burning houses have made this very clear. In a major disaster (earthquake, tornadoes, violent storms, etc.) gas lines can break and the natural gas that may be used for cooking and heating in your home can ignite and cause a deadly explosion. The fire from such an explosion can quickly spread to other homes or buildings as well.

A few years ago I showed my wife and children how to shut off the gas in case of the kind of catastrophe that we have seen in Japan. I not only have gas shut-off tools in my emergency kits, but I have a gas shut off tool (the one pictured here) hanging in our garage in a special place for immediate access to use in shutting off the gas.

Japan has created a billion dollar earthquake early warning system designed to give residents of Japan several seconds (up to 30 seconds for some residents in this earthquake) warning before feeling the earthquake. Though this might not seem like much time, it does give enough time for some people to shut off the natural gas supply to their homes and get beneath a table or other protective object. If you know what you are doing and you have the right tool handy (there is no way to do it by hand) it only takes a few second to secure yourself again a possible explosion.

Make sure to learn the basics of how to shut of the gas to your home. Then make sure you have an appropriate gas shut off tool. There are many available in the market. I like the 2-in-1 POGO (Pry Off, Gas Off) Pry Bar Emergency Tool (pictured above) as the pry bar can be used to deal with jammed doors or debris that might need to be pried off in a disaster. I also like this 4-in-1 Emergency Tool (pictured here). It is more compact (good for putting in your emergency kit) and can also be used to turn off water as well as to pry open jammed doors and dig through debris.

If access to your gas shut-off is secure (no one can randomly access your shutoff and turn it off as a prank - or otherwise), you might consider storing your shut-off tool right next to your shut-off valve. Otherwise store it in a secure place that is in your natural path to get to the shut-off. Should you ever need it in an emergency or disaster, it will be well worth the few dollars you will spend to make sure that you have a gas shut-off tool.

Every Life Secure

 

 

Videos of 9.0 Japanese Earthquake of 2011 and the Tsunamis that Followed

One must see the videos to come close to understanding the devastation of the 2011 9.0 Japanese earthquake and the Tsunamis that it has spawned in Japan and across the Pacific. Watch and be reminded of the need to be prepared for any emergency or disaster.

FULL FRAME 2011 Japan 9.0 earthquake video link.

 

Full Frame YouTube video of Japanese Earthquake and Tsunamis.

FULL FRAME 2011 Japanese Tsunami video link.

FULL FRAME 2011 Japanese 9.0 Earthquake.

 

Every Life Secure

 

Biggest Earthquake In Japanese History (9.0-magnitude) Spawns Tsunami Waves Throughout the Pacific

The most powerful earthquake in Japan's recorded history has devastated numerous towns in Japan and unleashed a 32 tsunami that swept away boat, car, homes and buildings. The 8.9 magnitude quake has sent waves rushing across the Pacific to threaten Hawaii, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Russia and even the West Coast of the United States.

I grew up in the Philippines and have lived through several earthquakes. But when I woke up to the news and saw it was a 8.9 magnitude, I was just sick. I do not recall hearing of an earthquake of this magnitude. Indeed an 8.9 puts this in line with some of the deadliest earthquakes ever experienced in the United States.

Coastlines across the Pacific are being evacuated as memories of the Indian Ocean Tsunamis of 2005 are still fresh enough in people's minds to get them to react cautiously. Tourists are being moved to higher floors in hotels on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii as 6 foot waves are predicted. I have stayed in Waikiki hotels many times and they are right on the beach and there isn't a whole lot of beach between the hotels and the ocean. I can only imagine the possible devastation. In coastal areas all around the Pacific, hotels, other buildings and homes are so close to the ocean that widespread devastation is assured as these massive waves continue to hit.

The current death toll in Japan stands at 32 but experience says that the final death toll will be many times that number.

Once again, real experience is the greatest reminder that we all need to be prepared for any emergency or disaster.

Every Life Secure

On-Site Responders and Safety Personnel Can Respond With Confidence To Any Emergency Or Disaster!

I thought you, the readers of this blog, might be interested in a sneak peak of our new MobileAid print advertising campaign - "Respond With Confidence!" This campaign is designed to help professional and lay responders better understand that with MobileAid Trauma First Aid, Emergency Response, and Medical Response products, they can Respond With Confidence to any emergency or disaster.

This first installment of the campaign is targeted at first responders and safety personnel in production, warehousing, and other industrial facilities. Large facilities such as these are responsible for the safety of their employees and visitors and can't leave themselves fully dependent on outside responders in case of an emergency or disaster.

Increasingly we are all aware that, despite their best efforts, professional first responders just can't get to everyone all at once after a disaster. This was brought home when the main fire station in central Christchurch was one of the buildings that collapsed in the recent major New Zealand earthquake. In a real disaster, even the responders and their equipment is at risk. So there are no guarantees of outside help.

Our MobileAid philosophy is that on-site responders need to have immediate access to high quality equipment and supplies to meet their own needs for the first several minutes, hours, or even days after disaster strikes. The most immediate first response comes from inside the facility vs. outside. In a severe disaster, the on-site response may even be the only response.

So be prepared to Respond With Confidence with MobileAid Emergency Response products.

Every Life Secure... when you... Respond With Confidence!