Preparing for the inevitable
Lizette Cuevas
Issue date: 3/12/10 Section: Opinion
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It is extremely important to protect ourselves.
Although, we have all seen the movies, we all know what "could happen," California residents still don't seem too concerned. According to FEMA, California is placed under a "Very High Risk" category.
Most people that I know don't keep food supplies stocked and they definitely are not sleeping next to durable shoes just in case there is an emergency and they have to run out; they don't have flashlights, batteries or hand-held radios.
On Jan. 12, a magnitude 7.0 quake struck Haiti near, Port-au-Prince. On Feb. 27, an 8.8 magnitude quake hit Chile near that nation's second largest city, Concepcion.
That same day there was a 7.0 quake off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, and just this week a 6.4 magnitude quake hit southern Taiwan.
Although the recent earth quakes are not connected, it should serve us as a wake-up call. The aftermath of an earth quake is the hardest.
Why is this important? "Where earthquakes have occurred in the past, they will happen again," according to FEMA. "California experiences the most frequent damaging earthquakes."
By law, California buildings are "earthquake proof" but that still doesn't mean we are safe. Most earthquake related injuries actually occur from collapsing walls, flying and falling objects.
Many people assume that because their building is safe, they too must be safe. But that's not the case; we have to inspect our rooms, making sure there are no loose objects (such as mirrors and heavy lighting).
The United States is known to be generous when other countries are dealing with a crisis; when Haiti suffered that devastating earth quake, we were quick to offer our services even despite the huge debt we have obtained ourselves.
But who is going to help us if we have a tragedy just as bad? Katrina was still struggling to rebuild itself, even after the media stopped reporting on it.
Everyone will soon enough turn their backs, if they don't see it- it must not be happening.
Who is going to help California if we suffer a tragic earth quake? We pretty much are going to be asked if we have insurance and if we don't, well then it's "our fault" because we were not prepared.
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