Prepared for an Earthquake

by Jesús Estrada

What exactly does it mean to be prepared for an earthquake, especially in Los Angeles where many await the next “big one”? Different views on preparation can range from just simply knowing to duck under a table to having a storage room full of nonperishable food and dozens of bottled water packages. From my own personal experience, the majority of low-income citizens in Huntington Park tend to lean more toward simpler preparations, and this ultimately leads to the question: How prepared is your family for an earthquake?

Danger Zone: Los Angeles

Earthquakes concern us Angelenos due to Los Angeles’s soil and close proximity to many seismically active faults. The San Andreas fault, for instance, has been long overdue to rupture. Also, the Puente Hills fault threatens Huntington Park residents since it lies a mere five miles away.

Exactly what makes LA so dangerous lies underneath your feet, so get ready for a mini geography lesson.

Many years ago, the tectonic plates over California drifted and formed the land that Los Angeles sits on. This drift formed the mountains surrounding this area, and then sediment from the ocean and wind accumulated between these mountains, and thus formed the Los Angeles basin.

Earthquakes occur when two tectonic plates slip violently against each other and releases energy as seismic waves. These seimsic waves cause the shaking.

This map depicts the amplification of waves as they travel through LA. Huntington Park lies in the yellow area, where the waves are amplified the most.

Photo credits: SCEC and USGS

The LA basin consists of loose soil that amplifies the magnitude of incoming seismic waves, and to make matters worse, seismic waves bounce back and forth in this basin (imagine it as a bowl of loose sediment with walls of solid rock), prolonging the duration of an earthquake.

Fortunately, after the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake, California has too been more alert and prepared to face the “next big one.” According to CNN, there are more GPS stations than before that can better track and predict seismic activity, plus stricter building codes have been established. Overall as a city, Los Angeles is now more prepared.

Our Family

To investigate how prepared our parents are in the case of an emergency, I set out to Marquez High School’s parent center to interview parents on their views on earthquake preparation and how prepared they are.

Reymundo Garcia, a parent and lawyer from Mexico who experienced the destructive 1985 Mexico City earthquake, claims that he generally feels safe in the case of an earthquake. After the Mexico City earthquake, according to Garcia, he felt more alert of how dangerous earthquakes can be. Garcia stated, “[This all falls] in respect to the government implementing safety measures in events like these.” Measures include the improved emergency response teams, tsunami evacuations, and disaster relief.

To prepare, Garcia has the basics in his home (bottled water, flashlight, non-perishable food), and he has gone over with his kids on how to find cover, but, as he claims, these wooden frame houses are sturdy enough to withstand earthquakes and that everyone in his house knows what to do in an earthquake.

Of course, some people say that the media exaggerates about how prepared we should be. Parents like Garcia and my mother believe that generally knowing what and where to go and having some food and water will suffice in the event of an earthquake. For instance, my mother has about three through four packages of water, some canned foods and flashlights, but nothing extravagant as the disaster preparation kits. Much of this is due to the the expensive cost of these kits, and as Garcia mentioned, faith in the government and the strength of our homes.

Angelica Evangelista, a Libra junior, commented, “Whenever we go to the supermarket, we buy [basic supplies] because we need them right now.” In other words, parents do not want to spend money on supplies they do not urgently need.

Noticeably, many of our parents find earthquake preparation essential, but are unwilling to spend a huge sum of cash to prepare. Consider the last earthquake you have experienced, if any. Were you shocked? Or more importantly, were you prepared? Did your family have a back up plan? Perhaps not, if so, how would you have survived the earthquake if it had been more violent?

Now, maybe your family has no earthquake plan, but that is not the only danger. Also, be aware that some houses in Huntington Park would collapse during an earthquake. For instance, a building with a parking space beneath the second floor is sure to collapse if only skinny poles hold up the building.

Considering all the dangers, do you feel prepared and safe for an earthquake? One can strike at any moment.