The recent hurricane catastrophes in the Gulf Coast regions should serve as a reminder to each of us that we are also vulnerable here in the southland to great natural catastrophes. We should all consider just how prepared our families are and how prepared our city is, should a major disaster strike here. In the spirit of opening up a community discussion regarding disaster preparedness, I’d like to offer the following comments on weathering a major disaster like an earthquake.

How would you and your family survive in the event of a large natural catastrophe, such as a major earthquake, that included the Mission Viejo area? (And, of course, what is true of a major earthquake is likely to also be true in many respects in the event of a major terrorist event.) The stark truth is, you might well find yourself completely on your own for days or even weeks or longer in the event of a major local catastrophe. You cannot safely rely on local, state or federal government services to take care of the immediate needs of you or your family. It will be up to you and the preparations you have made to see you through the first days and weeks of a major catastrophe.

What is it like to suffer through a major calamity like a devastating earthquake? What kinds of preparations should you have made in order to be able to take care of yourself and your family? Most Southern Californians think they know about earthquakes – after all, we have all experienced them many times, haven’t we? Yes and no. Until you have been in the center of a truly major earthquake, you probably have little or no realization of just how devastating, debilitating and overwhelming such an event can be or how much you might be forced to rely upon your own preparations in order for you and your family to survive effectively during those first days and weeks.

Let’s all hope and pray that we are never forced to go through such an event, but if we are, here are some of the major issues we might well face during the first week or even the first month after a major catastrophic earthquake.

Your home may well be rendered unlivable, and the city may well compel you to move out of your house. Single-story, wood-frame houses survive earthquakes quite well, but slab floors oftentimes do not, and hillside homes oftentimes do not. You will likely have no electrical power for days or weeks, no water service for weeks or a month, no natural gas service for weeks or a month. Many or all local businesses and stores may well be closed. Many smaller businesses may well go out of business, including some of those you shop at or work for. There may be people badly injured or killed in your neighborhood. There WILL be people so traumatized that they are unable to do even the simplest things, and they will need your help.

Many roads and freeways, especially bridges and overpasses, may well be impassable for at least a few days or a week (and probably in many cases for several weeks and, in some cases, for months.) Trees and power lines will be down; landslides may well have blocked many roads, and ruptures caused by the earthquake could destroy some roadways. All these things can be fixed, of course, but it may take the city, county or state days or weeks – and sometimes months and even years are required. In the meantime, your ability to get around other than by walking may be seriously curtailed.

You will not likely have ready access to fuel, food, medicine, medical services, money, water, shelter or communications with the outside world for days, or even weeks. And when you do, these services will likely be minimal and available only through a church or charity at a local emergency shelter. You or members of your family may well not have a job, at least temporarily, and most people almost certainly will not have a paycheck for at least a short while. You will probably not have access to your checking, savings or other banking services, including the ability to use a credit card, for weeks or longer.

We’ve all seen the futility, in the wake of the hurricanes, of waiting for the city, state or federal government to step in and patch things up in the short term. It will probably be no different here in the event of a major earthquake. I can tell you from firsthand experience that it was no different in the aftermath of the Northridge earthquake in 1994. Our family lost our home in that earthquake, and the only “services” we received in the first few weeks were an order from the city to vacate our home, and a helicopter visit from the president to tell us how shocked he was at the devastation. State and local government kicked in later in many ways, and FEMA eventually salted the area with much-needed emergency checks, but we were on our own those first few weeks – except for much-needed and substantial help from a variety of religious organizations, which within days began sending food, water, medicine, medical personnel and volunteer workers, and set up emergency shelters while local government debated and fiddled.

The aftermath of a catastrophe is so complex and enormous, and the wheels of all levels of government turn so slowly and are so limited in what they can really do (and how effectively they can really do it) that it is absolutely necessary for each individual family to prepare on their own to weather an emergency, to provide for their own safety and to provide for their own welfare in the first few days or a week after a catastrophe. 

For starters, each family needs to consider how they will handle their immediate, near-term needs for food, medicine and emergency supplies, water, shelter, money, lighting, transportation, and communications (and, a month or two down the road, money to cover at least the bulk of the long-term expenses of putting your family’s life back together again).

FOOD: Every family should have at least a week’s worth of food set aside and accessible. Establish a week's stockpile of food and emergency supplies (medicines, medical supplies, batteries, etc.) and important family materials (insurance papers, photos, phone numbers, etc.) in a convenient place in your house -- somewhere where you can grab it and evacuate quickly. Put a smaller emergency supply in a backpack in each car. Your plan should be to begin by using the food in your refrigerator and freezer, as you will likely lose all such food you don’t use in the first few days. Don’t overlook water and a means of heating it and cooking. It’s a good idea to have a camp stove or barbeque and ample fuel for at least a few weeks of daily use. Don’t forget, you’ll need a good supply of matches or butane lighters. Beyond those first few days of freezer food, you might want to consider stocking up on healthy food bars or dry cereal you can eat without cooking and without having to use a lot of water in preparing it. Remember to check each item in your food store for “use before” dates, and remember to cycle these stockpiled foods and supplies periodically.

MEDICINE AND EMERGENCY SUPPLIES: Each family should have at least a couple of weeks of all critical medicines, as you will probably NOT be able to run to the drug store to replenish medicines for at least a couple of weeks. For life-critical medicines, it might be well to have a month’s supply on hand, if that is possible.

WATER: You may be without potable water for weeks, so you must have at least enough water for a week for each member of the family. Our family buys water in 5-gallon plastic bottles, and we always maintain ten (50 gallons for 3 people) in reserve. Your hot water heater is another possible source of water, but bear in mind that in a severe earthquake, that water heater may get bashed around pretty badly and lose whatever water it contained.

MONEY: Think about how much you absolutely must have per week to buy necessities, and plan to have at least a couple of weeks of cash on hand.

SHELTER: You may not like camping, but in the event you are forced to evacuate your home, you should be prepared to live in a tent or in a vehicle of some kind for a period of time. Make sure each member of the family has sleeping bags, waterproof ground cloths or cots, a table and chairs, equipment for cooking and clothing for cold and/or wet conditions. By all means, do NOT assume that a local shelter will be able to take you in during those first three to five days. You should be prepared to fend for yourself for at least the first week.

LIGHTING: Every member of the family should have a good flashlight next to their bed, and in their car. It’s a good idea to have one at each of the major doors in and out of the house as well. The new mechanically powered flashlights that are powered by shaking or by turning a crank are probably your best bet for a personal emergency light, as they do not depend upon a battery. Propane camping lanterns are excellent for family use if you are forced to spend the night (or MANY nights) outside your home. Don't forget to lay in a stock of replacement propane canisters.

TRANSPORTATION: In the aftermath of a serious earthquake, many people may find that they cannot even get into their garage for several days because fallen items stored in the garage (especially those boxes of things we all store on shelves or on racks above our cars) will be completely blocking all doors! It’s not a bad idea to have at least one family car left outside the garage in case you must evacuate the family quickly. In the Northridge earthquake, about an hour after the quake, a broken gas main exploded into a 40- or 50-foot torch just a few blocks from our home, and four or five homes were quickly incinerated. We had to lend one of our cars to our next-door neighbors, who could not get into their garage to get either of their two cars, and all the families on our block were grabbing what they could to flee in case the winds took the flames our way. As we saw in the hurricanes, fire often strikes in a disaster from fallen power lines or from broken gas lines being ignited. You may have to move your family fast, so be prepared to do so.

COMMUNICATIONS: We should all be aware that most means of communications will be down for at least a few days after a major catastrophe, possibly for much longer, and that those phone and other local resources that are available will be swamped and essentially unavailable. After a major catastrophe, you will need to be able to connect with remote family members and relatives. Each family should have a plan for phoning a distant (out of state) friend or relative -- someone who can act as a clearinghouse for family messages. Experience shows that it’s much easier to phone a distant city after such an event than it is to phone next door. Set up a plan that every family member understands, and make sure every family member has a working cell phone.

INSURANCE – It’s a good idea to review your home and homeowners insurance policies, and make sure you understand what they cover and what they don’t cover. Most people are aware that neither of these types of policies covers them in the event of an earthquake. If you don’t have earthquake insurance, you should seriously consider buying such a policy. For most of us, our home is our most expensive investment, and it is an investment worth protecting. You would be wise NOT to rely – at least entirely -- on government programs to loan you money to rebuild. (And remember that your house will cost FAR MORE to rebuild than you can even imagine, as the prices on rebuilding materials will double overnight, and “contractors” will come out of the woodwork ready to promise you the moon, but most will be incapable of delivering on their promises. Be careful when signing repair contracts!)

Additionally, there are some things we all should do at a community level, ahead of a catastrophe, to better prepare ourselves and our community, should a catastrophe strike us. These include

FIRST AID: Every family should encourage every family member of high-school age and above to take some basic first aid training. Find out where and when such programs are offered locally and enroll! The life you save may be your own or that of your child. Do NOT rely on the availability of trained medical personnel in the immediate aftermath of a major earthquake, as they will be swamped, and may not even be able to reach you during the first critical day or two.

LOCAL PREPAREDNESS PLANNING: Find out what your city and county officials are doing with regard to emergency planning. Make sure you understand the “when, where, who and how” of local emergency planning, should catastrophe strike. Discuss with local officials just what the planning is for local response to a catastrophe. Where will shelters be located and what kind of volunteers will be required to staff them? What kinds of local food stores and medical stores will be available in an emergency? How will local elderly folks be cared for? What planning has been done for expedited state or county police, fire and medical services? What kind of local “neighborhood watch” programs aimed at catastrophe preparation and remediation are available, etc.? Ask how YOU can help as a volunteer! Get involved!

If a major catastrophe should strike our city, it will take a widespread effort to recover. Every individual will be responsible to help themselves and their family in the beginning. And everyone should be aware that volunteers will be needed with all types of ordinary skills to help the less fortunate during the ensuing weeks until ordinary governmental functions can begin to kick in and render assistance.

Donna and Mike Smith
Mission Viejo