CA - Earthquake - 6.4 foreshock; 7.1 main shock, 4 July, 2019 - Largest since 1999

[gitana1]

Do it, move to Arizona. It was the best year of my life! Dust storms. Monsoon rain. It was BLISS! You get used to the heat. I find the dry heat so much easier to tolerate than humid heat. You get pest control for the scorpions. You always have air conditioning. I miss Arizona so much, my anxiety was non existent there... it was AMAZING.

I have lived in earthquake country my whole life too. However, we aren't built as well as California is. So our buildings aren't going to stay standing in a 7.0. I'd actually be fairly comfortable if I lived in a newer house in California!

Earthquakes scare me more because of the total lack of warning. If anything you might get seconds. SECONDS! That isn't even long enough to process the warning.

I wouldn't love a tornado but at least I'd have time to get my people and critters under cover. With a hurricane at least I'd have the option to evacuate (and YES I would take that option!)

I just never manage to feel prepared enough. So of course, now I'm working on that at 2am. I go over every single possibility from likely to completely outrageous.

What if we are outside with the pets and the kids are inside?
What if I'm gone with one kid and everyone else is home?
What if we are all gone and the pets are home?

What if I put supplies in the pantry (because it's cinder block and the strongest room in the house) and even it doesn't hold up and then I can't get to them?
What if I get killed and the kids are left to fend for themselves?
What if we are gone when it hits and I can't get to the supplies in the house?

The smaller things like what if something falls off the wall and kills my kid, I've solved by not having heavy things on the walls.
Or what if the loft bed collapses on the child sleeping below it and kills them. Nobody sleeps below the loft bed.
Nobody sleeps below ceiling fans, windows or picture frames.
Our walls are decorated with lightweight canvas prints and poster prints.
I get gas when I hit 3/4 of a tank. I always have enough food for a week, a case of water and a pack of diapers in the car. I'm going to just put an entire kit in the car because I always worry about clothes and meds not being there.

I could go on and on and on for pages. I just completely panic when these happen. My normal coping is to find an answer for each possibility. But I can't do that in this situation with the big things! So, I panic... especially since our "safe haven" we were to retreat to in the event of a big quake has been taken away now.

It's just too much to handle it all at once. I'd like an adult who's better at adulting to take over for me.

Earthquakes don't bother me much. I feel nervous when they happen. Scared if they're big.

But as long as I'm not on an elevated freeway, under a bridge, in an old highrise or in an elevator, I'm not terrified.

Tornadoes can come out of nowhere. Often in the darkness. You may get a warning but you never know where it's going to turn or where it's really going to hit.

More important, states that have big tornadoes and hurricanes have an actual season of them.

We don't.

The level of storm damage in states with tornadoes and hurricanes each year and the numbers of deaths vastly outweigh death and damage in CA from earthquakes. Vastly. No comparison.

However, fires. That's what scares the hell out of me when it comes to natural disaster in our state. And that we do have a season for!!

What are the odds of dying in an earthquake?

 

[gitana1]

Your dog is just beautiful!

Thank you!!! I just love her so much.

 

[gitana1]

So these earthquakes scare my dogs. Fireworks scare my dogs too. Poor doggies have been thru a lot the last couple of days.
So right after the bigger one today, one of my neighbors let off some more fireworks! I was so mad!

That's ridiculous. It's bad enough we have to endure a war zone for days leading up to the fourth. And now everyone is on edge because of these quakes. That person is a jerk. Or 13. Or both!

 

[MsFacetious]

Just in case anyone else is a nervous wreck like I am now.
This kit comes in 1-6 person sizes.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079TKJ13N/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A3N9JFOTEJ3OMN&psc=1

Then of course you still gather clothes, medicine, dog food, tampons, diapers, additional food or water, the charging cable for your phone... whatever else you think you might need. Just throw that stuff in a second backpack and you're ready.

My biggest challenge is always how to have 3 kits that all have clothes and meds in them. The rest is no big deal. But having enough extra meds and clothes is always the part I get hung up on!

 

[PaperDoll]

We felt the earthquake here in Vegas, it was pretty strong for Vegas, but when I use to live in So. CA I've felt stronger ones than this. However, this one from last night surprised, wasn't expecting it. The one on the 4th, we didn't even feel it, but it did stop our grandfather clocks from chiming.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I stayed up later than usual last night but didn't watch any news before I went to bed. DH and I heard about the quake at 8:00 this morning (EDT). Can't help wondering if this was the actual shaker that was anticipated or if this is yet another prelude for what's to come...

 

[SuziQ]

I know. I grew up in Cali. My hubby is from Boston so I don't know why he was giving us directions...

We didn't go out until it had already stopped. There was no damage at all anyway.

Whew. I was worried about you. Well tell your hubby he has to stop drop and hang on. Glad to hear you didn't suffer any damage.

 

[Willow Knight]

I have my dogs with me so they feel more comfortable. These last 2 days have been terrible for them.

Thank you for caring so well for them. Some can't understand how much we love our pets, fur babies just don't understand what is happening. They know and trust you, and I'm glad they have you. Loving animals does not mean we love humans any less, we simply have more love to share. Thank you.

 

[SuziQ]

I just am so afraid with earthquakes. So much can happen. Gas lines getting disrupted start fires, windows shatter, water lines burst, buildings fall, electricity goes out, etc. And they are so sudden. It's not like we have a minute to figure out what to do, collect our people, etc. It's just sudden. And I've lived in SoCal all my life and I'll never get used to them.

I have lived in SLC for 30 years and I am still terrified of them. I hold my breath every time a bus or large truck shakes the ground.

 

[SuziQ]

The afternoon before the second one hit I was listenting to her on NPR and she said the likliehood of an aftershock stronger than the first one was about 6% at that point. Then - bam!

I read her statement about the 6% about an hour before this recent one hit.

 

[dyannaON]

Is there a thread for the mall explosion in Florida?
I can’t find one. And I’m having trouble getting msm to load on my phone.

 

[gitana1]

Is there a thread for the mall explosion in Florida?
I can’t find one. And I’m having trouble getting msm to load on my phone.

Mall explosion? Wth?

 

[Gardener1850]

Is there a thread for the mall explosion in Florida?
I can’t find one. And I’m having trouble getting msm to load on my phone.

Here you go: FL - Gas Explosion at Shopping Center, Plantation, 6 July 2019

 

[TristanP]

So, the calculator says that a 7.1 is 5 times stronger than a 6.4, but released eleven times as much energy. Hmmm.

And then, besides the fill dirt vs bedrock issue, there’s also the ‘how deep is it,’ issue. This one was quite near the surface, which makes it more violent. Yesterday’s was several miles deep, I believe.

What would have happened if the 6.4 was not so deep? Would there have been more or less damage near the surface?

I’m a Kansas girl. I know tornadoes, not earthquakes!

 

[margarita25]

New York Times:
Southern California Earthquake Rattles a State Wary of the ‘Big One’

—-

Earthquake rocks Southern California: Live updates - CNN

 

[wary]

What would have happened if the 6.4 was not so deep? Would there have been more or less damage near the surface?

I’m a Kansas girl. I know tornadoes, not earthquakes!

More damage, I believe. (I’ve never seen a tornado!)

 

[whitelilac]

I just came back from Ralphs. A lot less water on the shelves, as well as batteries running out. Next week I'm going to order an earthquake kit. It's about time.

 

[MsFacetious]

I just came back from Ralphs. A lot less water on the shelves, as well as batteries running out. Next week I'm going to order an earthquake kit. It's about time.

I'm ordering mine today. I linked the highest rated one on Amazon last night. (Just a few posts up.) We will all be dead before I put one together myself to save money!

 

[TristanP]

More damage, I believe. (I’ve never seen a tornado!)

I’ve seen quite a few, although most were still in the funnel cloud stage when I saw them and had not touched the ground yet. We had an F4 pass just south of our city only a few weeks ago and it did quite a lot of damage to cities to the north of us that were directly in the path. I think it was a 31 mile path. My ex-husband was actually in one of the storm chasing vans that got hit by a small satellite tornado while chasing the larger tornado. It formed behind the main storm and took them by surprise despite having satellite radar. Mother Nature will never cease to remind us humans who is in charge here!!

 

[kkdj]

Do it, move to Arizona. It was the best year of my life! Dust storms. Monsoon rain. It was BLISS! You get used to the heat. I find the dry heat so much easier to tolerate than humid heat. You get pest control for the scorpions. You always have air conditioning. I miss Arizona so much, my anxiety was non existent there... it was AMAZING.

I have lived in earthquake country my whole life too. However, we aren't built as well as California is. So our buildings aren't going to stay standing in a 7.0. I'd actually be fairly comfortable if I lived in a newer house in California!

Earthquakes scare me more because of the total lack of warning. If anything you might get seconds. SECONDS! That isn't even long enough to process the warning.

I wouldn't love a tornado but at least I'd have time to get my people and critters under cover. With a hurricane at least I'd have the option to evacuate (and YES I would take that option!)

I just never manage to feel prepared enough. So of course, now I'm working on that at 2am. I go over every single possibility from likely to completely outrageous.

What if we are outside with the pets and the kids are inside?
What if I'm gone with one kid and everyone else is home?
What if we are all gone and the pets are home?

What if I put supplies in the pantry (because it's cinder block and the strongest room in the house) and even it doesn't hold up and then I can't get to them?
What if I get killed and the kids are left to fend for themselves?
What if we are gone when it hits and I can't get to the supplies in the house?

The smaller things like what if something falls off the wall and kills my kid, I've solved by not having heavy things on the walls.
Or what if the loft bed collapses on the child sleeping below it and kills them. Nobody sleeps below the loft bed.
Nobody sleeps below ceiling fans, windows or picture frames.
Our walls are decorated with lightweight canvas prints and poster prints.
I get gas when I hit 3/4 of a tank. I always have enough food for a week, a case of water and a pack of diapers in the car. I'm going to just put an entire kit in the car because I always worry about clothes and meds not being there.

I could go on and on and on for pages. I just completely panic when these happen. My normal coping is to find an answer for each possibility. But I can't do that in this situation with the big things! So, I panic... especially since our "safe haven" we were to retreat to in the event of a big quake has been taken away now.

It's just too much to handle it all at once. I'd like an adult who's better at adulting to take over for me.

Where do you live?