#97 – EARTHQUAKE EMERGENCY

The Adventure: Earthquake Emergency Preparedness

When the earthquake first struck, I heard the dishes rattle in my kitchen, and for a brief moment, I merely thought that a really big vehicle was driving by.

Until it hit again.

Then I felt the earth move.

It took less than a second to grab my cat and run outside.

Tectonic Plates

But really, how could we not expect to feel the earth move when we live on a series of sliding plates otherwise known as tectonic plates?

It is said that the ones on the west coast will eventually rip apart, resulting in an earthquake that will result in a huge catastrophic disaster that will kill thousands.

A magnitude of 9 or greater.

So are you prepared?

Am I prepared?

National Emergency Preparedness Program

That night, I felt I was possibly, most certainly, unprepared for any sort of disaster. I found an Earthquake Emergency Preparedness Program at my local community centre – and it was great – but it confirmed a few things:

I’m not prepared.
I don’t have an escape plan.
I don’t have a 3 day or 7 day emergency kit.
I have no bottled water. Or supplies.

The only good thing I have is a BBQ and my Kelly Kettle. But really, that’s not enough.

Now What?

I am currently in process of figuring out my emergency planning kits – what they look like, what’s in them, how long they’ll last for. I know there are a tonne of options online – and I can just probably buy a kit and be done with it – but I want to take responsibility for my own safety and that means I need to do more, learn more, be more.

Without question, this whole thing is going to be a work in progress and I don’t know how long it’ll take. It is what it is.