The Big One
Blog Prompt: Crash of Wall Street stock market, Great Depression begins 1929. If you lost all of your money, what would you do to make it through until the economy turned around.
I am from an area in Missouri that has one of the largest earthquake zones in America. The New Madrid Earthquake zone virtually ran in my backyard. Living in that area, you were use to the occasional small little shake.
In 1990 a man, Iben Browning, predicted that there was a 50/50 chance that we were going to have the 8.0 earthquake in December that has been predicted for years. There was one of those back in about 1890 that made the Mississippi River run backwards. It devistated the area at that time. Anyway, of course, our area just kind of shrugged off the prediction.
Then on September 26, 1990 we had a 4.6 earthquake and thats when the area really started waking up and thinking, wow, this might really happen in December as predicted. I mean I got into major earthquake mode and trying to figure out what I needed to do to prepare for this.
Everything would be shut down. No money, small amounts of food, little shelter and probably only the water in my hot water heater to use. I made sure all my important papers were all in the freezer.
I watched programs on tv about being prepared and was told the National Guard wouldn’t be able to reach us for at least 2 weeks because the roads would be destroyed.
I had plastic boxes filled with water purifying pills, clothes and other items needed to last for a couple of weeks. I also made sure my kitchen cabinet doors wouldn’t fly open and my china cabinet was bolted to the wall. Body bags were stored all over the area and I also stored items in my car.
And then I saw the program as to what would happen to the ground where we lived.
The area where I lived is all sand and close to the Mississippi River. When a major earthquake comes in that area, the sand will turn into quick sand. There won’t be hardly any survivors in that area because everything will probably sink. I just fell apart and really worried about what to do to prepare for that. So, it was just a sit and wait game.
December came and went, no big earthquake and I’m sure today, no one is prepared anymore. There have been a few smaller quakes there since then and there was actually a 5.+ earthquake just a few months ago. I hope and pray when the “Big One” happens, that everyone is safe and able to get out.
The map below shows where I lived in the red area. All those dots are previous earthquakes.
Wow that sure is a lot of earthquakes!!!
I love a couple hundred miles from a subduction zone and so a large earthquake is always possible here too. After hurricaine Ike, dh and I were discussing what we would do to make sure we could take care of ourselves for several days after a large earthquake.
We always keep a large pantry (I dry produce in season) and we shop at Costco.
We close into town so we could ride our bikes if the roads were not to trashed, so we would not have to worry about gas.
I lived in Japan during the Kobe earthquake and another thing I realized is the importance of keeping up on Tetnus shots since it would be hard to get a booster after a big disaster.
Never been near any natural disasters, but a scary thought.
This is GREAT information and a GOOD reminder to be prepared.
I’ve been canning and putting food up for MONTHS now, cued by the economy etc. My MIL asked me why I did not just freeze my stuff – I told her if everything failed I’d want to have something READY that I could share with those in need, kwim?
Thank you for a very thought-provoking blog entry. I’m glad I visited you.
Visiting from the DST blogtrain.
I’d do whatever it takes, and work as hard as I had to. And I’d reach out and help others, which I think is really important.
Well, I live in Iowa and the thought of an Earthquake has never really past my mind. We have had a handful of small little shakes. Here we are more worried about a tornado hitting. Good points have been made to be prepared. I wouldn’t know where to begin if something happened. I need a disaster kit!! Thanks!
Thanks for some of these suggestions I think there is a major fault in SC too. We have stocked up on ramen noodles, and rice and other dried goods. We also keep a good supply of toilet paper. I wish I knew how to can things though because w/o electricity, freezing things won’t help.