“for journalists, or at least this one, fear is not an end in itself. At best, it is a means to an end, a way to channel emotion into action.”
“To achieve that, however, you need to navigate between the twin obstacles of panic (which makes you do all the wrong things) and fatalism (which makes you do nothing).”
“Keep an earthquake kit in a safe, accessible spot in your home. Unless you’re in the tsunami-inundation zone, you will almost certainly survive even the worst Cascadia earthquake. Which is exactly why you should plan for it: you’re still going to be around afterward, when life gets physically, emotionally, and logistically hairy. You can make things easier—on yourself, your family, your neighbors, and emergency responders—by assembling a decent earthquake kit and storing it in a safe, accessible place.”
“Some things to include:”
“Emergency-contact information”
“Copies of important documents (birth certificates, passports, driver’s licenses, wills)”
“Cash (A.T.M.s won’t work after the quake)”
“Prescription drugs (these expire, so, as with food, you’ll have to periodically replace them)”
“Flashlights”
“Extra batteries”
“Spare eyeglasses”
“A whistle (attach one to your key chain, too, in case you wind up trapped somewhere)”
“Basic first-aid supplies”
“Warm clothing”
“Sturdy shoes”
“Rain gear”
“Sleeping bags”
“A tent”
“You should also store food and water.”
“The conventional wisdom among emergency planners is that every household should have a three-day supply of each on hand (figure a gallon of water per person per day, for drinking as well as washing), but in the Cascadia event that won’t be nearly enough. The more realistic target is a three-week supply, but that’s a daunting amount for those with limited means or limited storage space.”
“My own theory about earthquake preparedness is that the perfect is the enemy of the good: don’t choose to stock nothing because you can’t stock everything.”
“Got money and space to spare? Great: fill a shelf with water and nonperishable foods.”
“Throw in duct tape and a tool kit.”
“Throw in a hand-cranked radio, a water purifier, iodine.”
“Don’t have much money or space? Make a small kit with whatever you can fit and afford. Everything you have, you’ll use; everything you can do for yourself frees up emergency resources for those in even greater need.”