Preparing for The Big One

Last Saturday Patti and I went to our local Blockbuster to rent some videos. I was browsing through the horror section, trying to find something that I haven't seen before. Patti grabbed a chick flick while I continued my seemingly endless search. Suddenly the building shook. My first impression was that a truck had run into the building. As it continued, I realize the truth. Earthquake!

The ground began to move, and the feeling was very similar to being on a swinging bridge. The shelves began to shake and the signs were swaying back and forth. Things kind of calmed down for a moment and then it started up again. Patti was freaked out and called home on my cell phone. There was no answer and we were concerned about the boys. I let Patti go ahead and pay for her chick flick rental and then we hurried home. The electricity had gone out at our house, but there was no damage. The boys were fine and our middle son, Matthew, had prepared to get his younger brother and drag him under the kitchen table if the quake had gotten worse.

Having no idea what was going on in the rest of the county, we contacted our oldest son, Ryan, in Texas and had him check it out on the internet. We soon discovered that we had been hit by a 6.5 Earthquake, the biggest one I have ever experienced.

Take a look at this surveilance video from the Arcata Co-Op, a local store that Patti and I often frequent!



On Sunday I was called in to work to help deal with some problems as a result of the quake and found that the building had suffered some damage and the second floor looked like a tornado had hit it. There were books, papers and supplies strewn all over the floor. I took a look at the pictures in the paper and couldn't believe the destruction in some of our local stores. Eureka had been hit much harder than we had.

The night of the earthquake when we were without power, we began to discuss the importance of being prepared. This earthquake hadn't been too bad for us, but what about next time? What if The Big One hit? We decided that at the first opportunity we need to stock up on some emergency canned goods, and especially water.

After about 30 minutes, Alex began to complain that he was bored and what could he possibly do for entertainment without electricity? Matthew brought up the subject of the end of the world, the Apocalypse. It was dark and creepy with only candles to light the house. I teased Alex, asking him what he would do if there were zombies trying to get in through the sliding glass door. He got a little spooked and wanted to borrow the flashlight. I was reminded of some of the movies that I have seen on the subject, "I Am Legend" being my favorite.

I went to bed that night a little shaken. We were lucky this time. But what about next time? We are only about a mile from the ocean. A Tsunami would knock out the bridge over the Mad River and we would be stranded. Living on the North Coast, it's best to be prepared for these kinds of disasters. I feel the need to stock up on supplies, a medical kit, extra matches and flash lights. As time passes and the quake is a distant memory, the urgency will go away. I need to do something about it now. We should all be prepared, wherever we live, for The Big One!