Earthquake! What, Where, and How to Prepare

Does a news report about an earthquake, or other natural disaster, make you feel under-prepared? Or maybe, it reminds you that you need to get better prepared...or even just do some to get prepared?When I was 12, an 8.0 earthquake struck about 65 miles away. It shook hard. Unlike the dozens of tremors and lesser quakes we felt over the years, this earthquake was long, lasting for over 3 minutes. After I got married, life got busy. Within a six years we had three kids, I was working full-time and had returned to college to get a bachelor's degree in information systems. I knew our preparedness was severely lacking and I needed to do more to get our home and family prepared.And the kicker...we live along the Wasatch Fault, one of the top earthquake risk hazard zones in the United States. Not being as prepared and feeling too busy and too tight on money to get prepared was making me a anxious. I didn't want to be one of those parents whose children were cold, hungry, or uncomfortable simply because I failed to do some simple things to get prepared. Then a turning point came, and preparedness became a priority. I knew a 72-hour kit wasn't going to cut it, but I wanted to know more about what it was I should be preparing for? What are the risks and hazards I might expect and plan for in my preparedness efforts?While making some preparations, I began reading and studying earthquakes, trying to understand more what they are, their risks and hazards. I researched recommended preparations and began implementing some and adapting others to our needs. I learned a number of unexpected discoveries about earthquakes, things that are surprising experts and beginning to change our understanding of earthquake risk. I also discovered several earthquake and early warning apps.And during that time, I also started giving some presentations on earthquakes and preparedness. The problem was I only ever had time to cover some of the basic information. As we became better prepared and continued in our efforts, the anxiety I had previously gave way to a feeling of greater peace and assurance that those I care for will be taken care of.What I'd learned and shared in presentations became the basis of this three-part book. Because most people are only familiar with earthquakes as they're presented in news reports and by Hollywood, the first part is what I call Earthquakes 101. In it I cover the basics of what earthquakes are, how they're measured, some of the factors that affect their severity, and quake-related hazards that can put you and those you love at greater risk. I also include some of the interesting and unexpected discoveries and discuss a few of the apps that may give you an early warning before the Big One strikes.The second part explores the greatest earthquake risks in the United States. We'll look at the top 16 states and the top 15 cities with the highest risks. I also go into loss estimations for five of the largest U.S. earthquake scenarios and how they may apply to your preparedness.The final part is on earthquake preparedness in and out of the home. How do you get prepared? What are some of the things we have done when time and money were short? What are preparedness considerations at home? What about at work? What preparations should be made if you can't get home in the normal way? The chapters in this part are based on research and personal application towards preparedness. You'll find suggested action items and lists to aid you in better preparedness. The great thing about good earthquake preparedness is it's cross-disaster applicable, meaning if you're really prepared for an earthquake you'll likely be better prepared for other disasters.Unlike many disasters, like a hurricane, there will likely be no early warning (other than maybe 10-30 seconds with some apps in some areas) that a quake will strike. How you are prepared and the immediate actions you take will make the difference. The time to prepare is now.