Recent earthquakes, the sign of trouble ahead?

recent earthquakes in california

Recent Earthquakes in California has driven fear to new heights. California earthquakes are  part of life but recently the state has been rocked with some serious shaking. On Thursday July 4th as if mother nature was making her own independence display and it was one of power. Fortunately there was no major damage and more important no loss of life. However the recent earthquakes in California has caused some concerns about “The Big One”. This could be the SHTF scenario we all talk about. Aftershocks rattled the southern part of the state over the last two days and then on Friday night things got worse. 

On Friday July 5th at 11:59 PM a 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit southern california 11 miles northeast of Ridgecrest. The shaking this time was much more intense as polls were sloshed around, buildings were damaged and there were gas explosions at local business places. Residents are now scared and on high alert. Could there be a chance of an even bigger earthquake in the future? There is definite chance of it however geologists are saying the chances are low. The chance of the 7.1 was low too but here it is.

This brings us to the question we always ask, are you prepared? If you live in California you better take prepping very serious. Not only do you face the risk of catastrophic earthquakes but you risk tsunami and volcano catastrophes as well then couple this with the outbreak of wildfires, well you live in the most disaster prone state the US has to offer. These Recent Earthquakes in California should be the sign to wake up!

california 7.2 earthquake

The Thursday and Friday earthquakes in california were the strongest ones to hit since 1999 (20 years) and it is a prelude of what the future may hold in store. The 7.1 quake was 11 times stronger than the previous and the USGS says that even stronger aftershocks could be on the way. 11 times stronger is terms of how it is felt is twice as strong in energy release which means a whole lotta shakin is going on, yesh.. shake shake your booty, shake it up baby, ok enough with the songs things. Let’s move on.

Had this earthquake been closer to a major city? well we would be looking at major disaster right now so that is what we want you to think about. Prepare now, do not wait until later and definitely do not assume this is all over. Over the last 20 years people became very complacent in respect to earthquakes. This has caused a lot of residents to be unprepared. This is the time to wake up California.

Earthquake Preparedness

Preparing for an earthquake while it involves a lot of steps, it isn’t really rocket science. There is no need for any individual to not be prepared. You need to apply a bit of logic and most important you need to ask yourself “Do I want to stay alive?” When disaster strikes it is up to you to be prepared and if you are the head of the family then everyone is looking to you to provide. I live here in the Appalachian mountains so my conditions are quite different but the same basic rules apply. In this section we are going to offer up some basic survival tips for those who need help making a plan and then we will look at advanced tactics.

What To Do During An Earthquake

earthquake safety is the biggest and most important primary goal you can have. Safety first means preservation. The most basic self preservation tactic during an earthquake is to prevent injury during the actual event. I am sure you have been well versed on this already so we will only skim the instructions here.

If You are inside – Remain Inside

Remove yourself from danger of any falling debri. This means getting under a solid table or other piece of furniture. Overturn a sofa and get beneath it if your table isn’t that strong. If you have no cover then get along side a sturdy wall (we suggest a corner as it tends to be much stronger.  Hold on to something to prevent being tossed around. Remain in cover and wait until the shaking stops.

Once the shaking has stopped it is advisable to shut off gas lines if they are broken, if they are not broken then leave them as they are as long as there is no danger of fire or explosion. You may then consider venturing outside but do so with utmost caution. There may be down power lines, broken gas and water lines, there will surely be rushing emergency vehicles as well as those of panicked residents. Be aware of loosened objects that may fall such as roof fixtures, power poles, trees etc. If

You Are Outside – Remain Outside

Take shelter in  an open area way from potential falling debris. Ensure that you are not beneath powerlines, stay away from drainage ditches as they may quickly overflow from water line breaks.

If you are driving:

Stop in a safe place out of traffic, do not block the roadways. Remain inside the vehicle and listen to local radio for any emergency instructions from local authorities. Do not leave the vehicle during the event. If power lines have fallen on your vehicle DO NOT attempt to exit, remain inside until rescue arrives.

If you are on public transportation remain inside the vehicle during the event. Shelter under the seats if possible. Urge others to stay calm as panic can quickly become dangerous. Again exit only if it is clear and safe to do so.

Do not call 911 unless you have an emergency, this is critical as 911 systems will be inundated with calls. Calling 911 just to say you experienced an earthquake may be tying up the system for someone who is dying. Instead, you can help by first making sure you are not injured and then proceed to help neighbors. Helping your neighbor is something that will become critical and beneficial to you in the last part of this article. Communications may be down so prepare to treat injured yourself until help arrives. Before we proceed any further lets go over a list of things you will need for this SHTF scenario.

Emergency Planning - Disaster Supplies

FEMA uses the rule of threes to go by but you can read here why the rule of threes is a bad idea. We suggest KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid. Lets go over basics here. You will at bare minimum need the following on hand at any given time to ensure disaster preparedness.

  • Emergency First Aid

If you don’t want to build a kit you can buy survival backpacks here.

    • Water – one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
      We carry water filtration bottles on in our store, pick up one for each family member.
    • Food – at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food. 
      We carry survival foods from both Wise Company and Legacy Foods, you can pick these up for less than the company themselves offer them.
    • Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
    • Flashlight
    • First aid kit
    • Extra batteries
    • Whistle to signal for help
    • Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
    • Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
    • Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
    • Manual can opener for food
    • Local maps
    • Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
      ~ Credits – Ready ~Here is a list by FEMA that you can use. We have linked the “water” and “food” section so you can gather even more valuable information needed.

      A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:

Additional Emergency Supplies 

You may wish to consider having the following additional supplies on hand just in case this becomes an extended event.

  • Prescription and non-prescription medications, pain relievers, antacids etc.
  • Prescription or reading glasses (We know it sux trying to survive with poor eyesight – AKA over 50)
  • Infant medication, formula, diapers, wipes etc
  • Pet foods and supplies if needed
  • cash or checks (we often wonder if this one is really needed? the stores will be closed down most likely.
  • important documents such as identification, critical medical information etc. Think this through what do you really need?
  • backpack with sleeping bag, temp shelter such as a tarp or even a tent.
  • extra clothing
  • chlorine and a medicine dropper to disinfect water
  • fire starters or matches
  • signaling device such as a mirror (we sell an affordable combo fire starter / signaling device)

SHTF Planning

bug out or bug in

Now comes the nitty gritty survival. You made it through so here we will discuss the things FEMA will not tell you. At this stage you need to accept the fact that things are bad and can become even worse. If this is a large scale event you will be facing multiple challenges in this emergency crisis. With that being said we offer this advice as well as suggest you read the article Bug Out or Bug In.

  • Have a planned escape route from the city.
  • have a predetermined destination or bug out location which will be your safe place.
  • have a means of defending yourself
  • have items that you can barter with (you may want to go back to the previous paragraph and grab that cash)
  • have a Bug Out signal. This means knowing ahead of time what signs must be in place to say “GTFO”. You need to consider is it best to shelter in place or move out. The article linked above “Bug Out or Bug In” will help you decide.

In summing everything up we want to stress the importance of preparation and emergency planning. 60% of Americans are not prepared. During a large scale event they will not have adequate supplies, proper training or  at worst case the ability to survive. If you are  still reading this then you are a survivor, you are in “The Club” which is the prepper community. Let others know the importance of preparing. If you don’t spread the word, the next time you see your friend or your family member, it may be at a trauma care unit or even worse, their funeral. Tell them that its simple and easy to do, start a local survival education group and as always, we are are here to help answer your questions along the way.

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