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4 OUR YUCAIPA | FEBRUARY 2016 The Naked and the Thirsty: Bracing for the Big One By Courtney Fox Taylor My first biggest fear when it comes to earthquakes is being in my car under an overpass, stopped at a light. The big one hits and the overpass begins to sway, then crumble, crushing my car. The quake stops and I am miraculously alive. As the dust begins to settle, I realize my legs are pinned. I sit for hours, enduring aftershocks, immobilized, waiting to be rescued. After a couple of days, no rescue comes. There are apparently bigger problems in Southern California than this one overpass that has collapsed on little ol' me. I have a bottle of water in the car but it is just out of my reach. I have nearly gone crazy trying to figure out a way to get to it but have failed. In the end, I die of dehydration. Cruel, cruel irony. Biggest fear scenario number two, which is actually far more realistic considering how rarely I'm stopped under overpasses, is that the big one will hit when I'm in the shower. The house will collapse on all my clothes and I will be forced to wander outside naked, hoping someone has a spare robe for me. This month's Our Yucaipa's main story was inspired by the little shaker we had on January 5. It reminded me, you and everyone who felt it that we are long overdue for a major earthquake. I've lived in Southern California most of my life and have been in my share of earthquakes. The first one was when I was four, living in Seal Beach. I remember waking up and seeing my mom and dad standing in my doorway while the house shook around them. Earthquakes played a starring role in my nightmares for much of my youth. During the Northridge earthquake, I stood in a doorway of my apartment in Lake Forest. The shaking lasted about 15 seconds, which in earthquake time feels like a minute. A very, very long minute. Soon after that earthquake, I went to get CPR certified and the instructor took the opportunity to tell us what to do during a quake. He said that you aren't supposed to stand in doorways, stating that in big ones, things start to fly around and you would likely be impaled by a knife or a microwave. I don't know how a microwave could impale anyone but he said it with such authority, I believed him. For awhile, people talked about the Triangle of Life. The theory is that you hunker down near a strong, heavy object that will provide a modicum of shelter should the building collapse. It's widely criticized in areas like this where, with the strict safety codes, buildings are unlikely to collapse. What is recommended is that you drop, cover and hold on. Here's what I found on the Internet Machine: DROP down onto your hands and knees before the earthquake knocks you down. This position protects you from falling but allows you to still move if necessary. COVER your head and neck (and your entire body if possible) under the shelter of a sturdy table or desk. If there is no shelter nearby, get down near an interior wall or next to low-lying furniture that won't fall on you, and cover your head and neck with your arms and hands. HOLD ON to your shelter (or to your head and neck) until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking shifts it around. Drop! Cover! Hold On! DO NOT stand in a doorway. You are safer under a table. In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house. The doorway does not protect you from the most likely source of injury − falling or flying objects. Most earthquake-related injuries and deaths are caused by falling or flying objects (e.g., TVs, lamps, glass, bookcases), or by being knocked to the ground. You can take other actions, even while an earthquake is happening, that will reduce your chances of being hurt. If possible within the few seconds before shaking intensifies, quickly move away from glass and hanging objects, and bookcases, china cabinets, or other large furniture that could fall. Watch for falling objects, such as bricks from fireplaces and chimneys, light fixtures, wall hangings, high shelves, and cabinets with doors that could swing open. If available nearby, grab something to shield your head and face from falling debris and broken glass. If you are in the kitchen, quickly turn off the stove and take cover at the first sign of shaking. If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. You are less likely to be injured staying where you are. Broken glass on the floor has caused injury to those who have rolled to the floor or tried to get to doorways. During the 2005 4.9 magnitude earthquake, centered in Yucaipa, I did none of these things. I had been on the phone with a client and the house started to shake. I screamed, "We're having an earthquake." and dropped the phone. Then I ran toward the back door, scooping my five-year-old off the couch as I ran outside. All that I could think is that nothing would fall on me if I was standing in the middle of my back yard. The problem with earthquakes is that you never know when they're going to happen so being prepared is the best you can do. Talk to your family about your plan, which table you're going to dive under. You could even practice doing that. Fun family time! Secure all the large pieces of furniture that will likely lurch away from the wall and try to crush you. Make sure that you have supplies in your car and, if you wear high heels or dress shoes to work, put a pair of sneakers in your trunk. If you're trapped on the freeway, you're going to need them. I made a kit about five years ago and I should probably do some rotating of supplies. I know the toilet paper and medical kit will be good but I'm not going to try the granola bars. When I was assembling my kit, I threw in the things my family would never eat from the pantry, like canned peas and peaches. I should probably swap those out for things they like. We don't need to be homeless AND angry. And while I'm at it, I think I'll throw a pair of sweats and a shirt in there for each of us too. We really don't need to be naked.

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