An emergency can strike at anytime: Be prepared

Last week’s 4.4 magnitude earthquake centered in Highland Park is a stark reminder of the precarious nature of the Southern California landscape. Though no major damage was reported, the temblor was reported all the way from Los Angeles to San Diego. It occurred on the Puente Hills fault that seismologists at Caltech contend may be more dangerous than the famous San Andreas fault.
Caltech reports that the Puente Hills fault runs beneath Downtown Los Angeles and extends southward to Orange County. It’s roughly 10 miles deep and angles like a ramp and gets closest to the surface near the campus of the University of Southern California. Because of the shallow depth of the Aug. 12 event, that was primarily the reason why so many people in South LA felt such a sharp and sudden jolt. Could South LA be the epicenter of the vaunted “Big One” that Angelinos have been warned about for the past 50 years?
Record number of earthquakes this year
So far this year, Southern California has been rattled by 14 earthquakes with magnitudes near or above 4.0. Prior to this year, there have only been five earthquakes of this magnitude in the Southland over the past 20 years.
“The Puente Hills fault is much more dangerous than the San Andreas because it sits underneath a very densely inhabited part of the Los Angeles Basin,” said Dr. Lucy Jones of Caltech. Jones emphasized that a major quake on the San Andreas fault would leave about 800 people dead. A similar quake on the Puente Hills fault would result in a staggering 3,000 to 18,000 deaths. Jones cautioned, however, that these models were created before Los Angeles and surrounding cities began their retrofitting programs, which could lower the death toll.
“It’s a reminder that this is actually our most dangerous fault,” she said.
Jones explained that the Highland Park temblor appeared to be based in the same group of faults that created the 1987 Whittier Narrows quake–5.9 magnitude, causing $358 million in damage–and also that last week’s event occurred in roughly the same location as a 3.4-magnitude quake that struck on June 2.
A shaky August
“There have been others in the past,” she said. “In 1989, we had a pair of four-and-a-halfs that were also in the system that were just a half-hour apart. There have been plenty of small ones over the years that are also within this [general magnitude].”
The Highland Park shaker, centered about 1,100 feet southwest of Huntington Drive and Eastern Avenue, came on the heels of a 5.2-magnitude earthquake on Aug. 6 centered in the Bakersfield area that was also felt across much of the Southland. Seismologists say that major earthquakes tend to occur along the San Andreas Fault every 180 years or so. There hasn’t been a major quake along the 800-mile stretch since 1906.
The seismic events this year come amid ongoing speculation over the aforementioned “Big One”–an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 or greater. Scientists around the world say prediction, and subsequent preparation, is at best difficult and at worst impossible.
“Unfortunately, earthquake prediction remains an extremely challenging endeavor,” according to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services website. “While scientists can monitor fault lines and detect patterns of seismic activity, they cannot predict exact earthquakes reliably.”
Awaiting the ‘Big One’
Scientists work more in the realm of long-term probability. This is a more accurate way to inform what high-risk areas can do to prepare for the day when the “Big One” arrives. Until such time as prediction becomes more precise, earthquake regions around the world will try their best to enact preparedness measures including digital alert systems, practice drills and building retrofits.
Over the last few years, Southland residents have had to endure historic flooding, wildfires, smoke and extreme heat which have claimed lives and, more broadly, have threatened the lives and livelihoods of Californians and people across the nation. People have had to face personal emergencies at a moment’s notice ranging from supply chain disruption which prevented them from accessing the products they need, to prolonged power outages because of extreme weather-related events.
Make a plan and create supply kit
You can never predict when a catastrophic event will take place, but there are numerous ways to help prepare for an emergency. First, make a plan with your family members–and your neighbors–to discuss how to prepare and respond to types of emergencies that are most likely to happen where you live. In your household, identify responsibilities for each family member and how you’ll work together as a team. Try to put these plans into practice now and then to make sure that everyone in the house is on the same page at a moment’s notice.
With earthquakes–of which California, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington occupy the easternmost portion of what is called the “Ring of Fire” (volcanos, directly connected to earthquakes, stretching from Japan across the Pacific Ocean)–be sure to have on hand a supply kit that includes enough food and water for several days, a flashlight (with spare batteries), a fire extinguisher and a whistle (to signal for help). While not everyone can afford to stock up on such necessities, collect the most important items you’ll need for a prolonged period of time and place them in a safe and easily accessible place. Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, water heaters, televisions and objects that hang on walls.
If within your budget, consider making improvements to your home or building to fix structural issues that could cause a collapse during an earthquake. As well, if you can afford it, consider earthquake insurance. Your standard homeowner’s insurance policy does not cover earthquake damage.
If you’re on the road during an earthquake, pull over and turn off the engine. Set the parking brake. If you’re in bed, turn face down and cover your head and neck with a pillow. Stay calm until the shaking stops. Have a flashlight and a battery-operated radio nearby. Place a pair of shoes near your bed. Experts don’t recommend you immediately run outside because you don’t know if a power line has fallen or if there’s damage from above such as an uprooted or leaning tree which could fall on you.
Expect aftershocks. Be ready to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” until the shaking subsides. Once you are safe, check the latest news reports (providing your electricity is still up and running) for important emergency information.
Wildfire season now yearlong
The Southland is prone to wildfires. Develop a “wildfire action plan” which would include a predetermined meeting place which would be outside of high-risk areas to determine who has evacuated from the affected area. Determine an escape route known to everyone in the household. Practice these often so everyone in your family will know where to go.
Animals, whether dogs, cats or horses, are like members of the family. Try to make arrangements for pets and larger animals. Most importantly, develop a family communication strategy in which you name someone outside the area to be the main contact point for all of your family members if you get separated or have trouble with phone networks.
You’ll want to keep important phone numbers and documents in a safe and easily accessible place. Keep your prescriptions all in one place. Finally, have some cash around. You don’t know if credit card systems or ATM’s are operating following an emergency.
You can’t predict when an emergency will unfold, but little tips like these may make the going a little easier until the situation settles down and things begin to return to normal.