National Preparedness Month: Are You Prepared?

Natural disasters have caused over $6 billion dollars in the US, just in the first six
 
 months of 2018. Several states were damaged by severe storms, Hawaii has
 
 been challenged with volcanic eruptions, hurricanes and floods and California
 
 has experienced some of the most devastating fires this year. With September
 
 being National Preparedness Month, Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and
 
 government agencies are taking this month to remind communities to have a
 
 plan in place if a natural disaster strikes.

 
 California not only has threats of wildfires, but has historic notoriety of
 
 earthquakes both large and small. To welcome National Preparedness Month
 
 this year, on September 1, the bay area experienced a small earthquake.
 
 NBCBayarea.com reported the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed a magnitude
 
 3.3 earthquake hit the bay area. Since 1979, the Bay area has experienced six
 
 earthquakes with magnitudes from 5.1 to 7.1 and according to the US Geological
 
 Survey, California has a 99% chance of having a 6.7 magnitude or greater
 
 earthquake in the next 30 years with a 62% probability in the Bay area.

 
 Kevin Smith, an emergency management specialist with PG&E, says families
 
 need to be prepared, have a plan and know what to do during in an emergency
 
 because “in California, these disasters can happen anywhere, anytime.”

 
 35 years ago, in 1983, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Coalinga which injured
 
 94 people and caused millions of dollars in property damage. The epicenter was
 
 7.5 miles northeast of Coalinga, about halfway between Los Angeles and San
 
 Francisco. It struck at 4:42 p.m. on May 2, 1983, and was felt from Los Angeles
 
 through Sacramento, and from the coast all the way to Las Vegas.

 
 The Coalinga quake, which occurred on a previously unknown fault, resulted in
 
 $10 million dollars in damages, which is equivalent to about $25 million today.
 
 According to the American Red Cross, of the nearly 2,000 houses, apartments
 
 and mobile homes damaged by the quake, 342 were virtually destroyed and 691
 
 more had major damage.

 
 “I cannot emphasize enough on how important it is to be prepared for
 
 emergencies,” said smith, “so we need to make sure that we are ready,
 
 whenever the next disaster hits.”

 
 The greater southern Central Valley region—Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera,
 
 Mariposa, Merced and Tulare counties—is surrounded by faults, including the
 
 Garlock fault to the south, the faults of the Sierra Nevada to the east, and the
 
 dangerous San Andreas fault system to the west.
 
 
 A 2017 study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that a portion of the San
 
 Andreas fault, near the Tejon Pass could be overdue for a major earthquake.
 
 Earthquakes there happen about every 100 years, on average, with the last
 
 one—the Fort Tejon 7.9 magnitude quake—occurring in 1857, when there was
 
 almost no development in the area.

 
 In an interview with CBM, Smith shared how to help prepare for disasters and
 
 expressed it is essential to know what natural disasters can occur in your
 
 community and surrounding areas. Have a plan in place to contact family
 
 members, sign up to receive emergency alerts and warnings, know the
 
 evacuation route and be aware of and report downed power lines.

 
 While no one can predict when or where the next earthquake will hit, “Practice
 
 emergency plans, so that young ones can become familiar,” says Smith. “You
 
 need to reinforce that and make it a habit to practice emergency drills, so when
 
 [emergencies] happen you are prepared.”

#NationalPreparednessMonth #PacificGasandElectric #PGE #AmericanRedCross