Posted by:
Tevai
(
)
Date: September 18, 2021 05:13PM
elderolddog Wrote:
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> I have the CA Earthquake alert on my
> phone. It went off before I felt the
> earthquake, telling me, "There has been an
> earthquake in your area; you may feel it..." or
> something like that.
>
> And sure enough, about six seconds later,
> I felt it, here in North Disneyland!
"North Disneyland" isn't all that far away from the epicenter. It is probably closer to you than the San Fernando Valley is.
> So hopefully, if and when the Big One
> hits, enough smaller ones will have given me time
> to train myself to react to the Alert by stepping
> into a doorway.
It would be excellent if you are able to make this an immediate habit during earthquakes.
One bit of advice: Shards of glass can "fly" from breaking windows, etc., and these can be potentially lethal. It is really important to keep this conscious knowledge in your trained response, because you need to keep your face and neck protected (via your arms, a blanket or a bath towel or a sofa cushion, etc.) to the maximum possible while the actual quaking is happening. If there are toddlers or animals about, they need to be swooped up and protected too.
[EDITED TO ADD: During the Northridge quake, our cat Sekhmet "disappeared." After the shaking from the main quake had subsided somewhat, we finally found her in the bedroom, UNDERNEATH THE COVERS AND THE TOP SHEET, in the EXACT center of the bed, so scared that she was causing vibrations throughout the entire bed. We had to pull most of the bedding off to get to her and start reassuring her that all was now going to be well. Northridge was THAT kind of quake.]
Once the actual quaking simmers down, check all of the gas connections wherever you are to make sure that no leaks have been created.
If it is a bad quake (you will come to realize this as it is happening) then turn off all electrical usages. (This means: don't flip on a lightswitch, etc., and if you can pull electrical plugs out of outlets, this is a good thing to do. If it is dark, use flashlights, NOT candles! And be sure you have actual shoes on your feet!)
P.S. Earthquakes tend to be "rollers" or "shakers." "Rollers" are emphatically better. It is usually the "shakers" that do the most damage. (Northridge was a "shaker," and it felt pretty mean.)
If you are in a bad "shaker," it may be a good idea to evacuate wherever you are, and--once you get outside--be careful to avoid downed electrical lines and glass. If you possibly can: Wear shoes!
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2021 05:45PM by Tevai.