Disaster Preparedness

In light of the recent destruction to many communities in the East Coast, many conversations have been tossed around as to how prepared we ALL are in terms of natural calamities, and perhaps the not-so-natural calamities, that could potentially befall ANY of us at any given time.  Imagine 7 days of no electricity, wet everywhere and falling temperatures, with a looming threat of yet another storm on the horizon...long waiting lines for food and gasoline.  Many describing their homes as ravaged as in a war torn country, access to necessities as almost non-existent, save for neighbors and locals getting together to help one another.

So what about us?  Are we ready?  In this city, we are fortunate to have community volunteers being trained by the Fire Department under the CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) Program.  I am a certified CERT volunteer and am encouraging others to sign up.

Google:  CERT: Community Emergency Response Teams (www.citizencorps.gov/cert/) or
                CERT - The City of Alameda (www.cityof alamedaca.gov/City-Hall/CERT)

Despite having gone through CERT training and several Red Cross workshops on "Disaster Preparedness", I would be the first to admit that I am far from being prepared.  Short of telling my family that we are to meet at a designated spot in case of a disaster and giving each of them a relative's out-of-state phone number, I guess I can honestly say, I have a jug of water, random flashlights around the house with batteries stored in tin cans (which haven't been tested for several years), and last I looked -- maybe two cans of food...pitiful, hey?

I grew up in the Philippines were typhoons and flooding were almost a part of life -- not to mention earthquakes.  So in every sense of the word, I am a veteran -- but does one really get used to any kind of devastation?

Here in California, I have experienced the Loma Prieta earthquake, I believe in 1989. I was living and working as a nurse in Santa Cruz -- the epicenter of the quake. I remember that afternoon as clearly as if it was yesterday.  Working on the second floor of a pediatric clinic, I was getting ready to put a patient in a room to be seen by the doctor when all of a sudden, I heard the rumbling noise BEFORE I felt the shaking.  It was as if the floor had tilted and I was standing lopsided.  My oldest was about two years old and my thoughts were only of him and whether or not he was in a safe place. Although the earthquake only lasted a fraction of a moment -- it felt like time stretched in slow motion, until it became quiet again -- both the noise and the shaking.  In it's wake, was a roomful of files and stuff on the floor and a great number of people groaning in shock.  I quickly grabbed my purse and hurriedly told the doctor I was working with that I had to go home.  Didn't even asked if that was fine with him -- I didn't care!

I headed home to find dishes, stereo, books all in piles on the floor.  My toilet was sitting askew and my stove moved about half a foot away from the wall.  My son was with his father and they were fine.  Didn't really know what to do at that point, but to clear the mess and see what was what.  No electricity, no running water, no food in the house, no flashlight -- I remember having matches -- that's it!!!  My terrified two year old and I went to the only store that was opened and stood in line for three hours to get basic necessity of water, candles, batteries, flashlight and canned food.  We slept in the car that night, anticipating the aftershock that could be much stronger than the quake; I hugged my son against me -- did not really sleep much.

The next day, we went downtown Santa Cruz and saw many of the retail businesses owned by locals, some of whom were our friends, just completely demolished...as if a huge demolition ball went through each of the buildings and leveled them down to the ground.  So this is how a place would look like if it was bombed, I remembered thinking...Wow!!! Disbelief and definitely a humbling experience.  That was over twenty years ago...and now I am in the Bay Area.  The same thing can happen again.  Time to wake up!!!