In a location that hardly gets hit by earthquakes, people aren’t the least bit worried. However, when a quake does happen, people are frightened, but soon forget about it until another one hits.
With that in mind, a majority of the population in Los Angeles is not prepared for the 8.0 magnitude earthquakes that will take destroy homes, skyscrapers and lives.
It has been estimated that the quake will hit within the next 30 years. This may seem like more than enough time to secure homes and prepare emergency kits, but for all we know, it could strike next week.
There have always been several earthquakes, major and minor, throughout California. Parkfield is a village that falls directly on the central segment of the San Andreas Fault, which makes it a hot-spot for major earthquakes. The most recent earthquake to hit was a magnitude of 6.0 in 2004. California residents need to worry about the fault line which travels 100 miles up and down the state.
Geologists have studied and estimated that a fatal earthquake can occur at any time. Geologist Mary Lou Zoback and geophysicist Yuri Fialko have done studies on the plates below the San Andreas Fault to see how much they move past each other every year.
The plates seem to be locked against each other on the southern section of the fault. Due to the pressure and the motion under the plates, it creates a huge strain.
Other than the major question of California being prepared, it is not specifically known when the shock will happen.
An experimental earthquake drill was been done in Los Angeles only to discover shocking outcomes about how our city would hold up. It was concluded that 600,000 buildings would be destroyed, 1,800 people killed, 50,000 injured and water and electricity would be lacking for as long as six months.
Southern California is full of multi-level freeway overpasses, two-story schools, giant homes and a ton of hills. Our city was not designed to withstand the impact of a giant earthquake. The government will have to spend millions of dollars they do not have in order to brace every home, school, road and company.
It takes a lot more to be prepared and safe than just knowing a quake will strike. California is not equipped to handle such catastrophes, so it is up to the citizens to prepare themselves and do all they can to protect their surroundings.
Children are learning fire drills in school so they know what to do the second they feel a shake. There are several Web sites that have on-going lists about how to make a home safe, from equipping locks on all cabinets to changing every glass window to a Plexiglass.
It has been advised throughout the media that a kit should be made beforehand filled with snacks, a blanket, flashlight and any necessary items in order to survive.
It needs to be repeated several times that California is not prepared for a disaster and one is expected to hit soon. Therefore, if we expect to survive the chaos associated with an earthquake, we need to stockpile survival necessities and be well researched on what to do in such an emergency.
