My first experience with a major earthquake was on February 9, 1971. It happened early in the morning and woke me up. That earthquake registered 6.9 and I was terrified. I vividly recall holding on to the sides of my twin mattress thinking that if the wall gave way, I would ride my mattress to the ground from my second story bedroom. And by the way, that Sunday morning in church, I had my actual come to Jesus moment.
Fast forward to the 1994 Northridge earthquake. By that time I was married with three children and a terminally ill mother. The feel of that earthquake was profound as it felt as though the house was being lifted up and down. The kids were so traumatized that they slept on the floor of our bedroom for nearly a month afterwards. The damage from that earthquake was extensive throughout neighboring Simi Valley and Northridge, but our new home, built to earthquake standards, was unscathed.
Living in earthquake territory all these years, I’ve come to appreciate the random nature of when the earth will start shaking. There have been many small earthquakes that don’t rattle my nerves much because I expect them. The key for me is being prepared as much as possible for when the big one hits. And the experts have been assuring us my entire life that the big one is coming. In fact, it is overdue.
Sometime between the 1971 and 1994 earthquake, my mother started teaching earthquake preparedness classes for the city of Los Angeles. Like any good mom, she made sure I knew what to do and what to keep in my earthquake kit. It is because of her that I keep a kit in a closet, complete with flashlight, batteries, food, water, portable blankets, can opener and a first aid kid. A second kit is kept in the trunk of my car. I sleep in pajamas and keep shoes beside my bed. Heavy bookcases are anchored to the walls. I keep at least a quarter of a tank of gas in my car at all times. I know that the safest place is under a sturdy table or desk, not the doorway. I know not to immediately run outside. I know to check for gas leaks. I thought I was basically prepared.
And then the Ridgecrest quake happened this week with a magnitude of 6.4. We didn’t even feel it. Not at all. But it was a reminder that I needed to update our earthquake kits and it occurred to us that Michael didn’t have one in his car. At first he balked at the idea that he needed one. I had to convince him of the randomness of an earthquake and how he might well be on the road away from home when it occurred. Convinced of the necessity, I spent Friday shopping for earthquake items for his kit and to update the current kits.
And then an even bigger, 7.1 earthquake, also centered in Ridgecrest hit that same night. This one we felt. The house swayed gently for at least 30 seconds. We realized that although we were in no danger, there were people who were at that very moment experiencing a terrifying and possibly devastating event. My daughter and her husband who live closest to the epicenter felt it strongest. They had been grocery shopping when the first one hit and were a little shaken by it; this one was bigger. My daughter in Vegas was like me and didn’t feel the first one. But within minutes we were on the phone confirming that everyone was safe and that we had all felt this one.
As humans, we need to affirm our experiences with others. We need to know that we aren’t crazy or alone. There is comfort in knowing that others are just as afraid, concerned, and wary as we are. I’m not certain how helpful it is that the news networks go on for hours playing and replaying every aspect of the earthquake and its many aftershocks–most of which we don’t feel. I admit that one of the first things we did immediately following the 7.1 quake was to turn on the news to see what the coverage was.
My husband used the occasion of this quake to show me where the gas line is in order to turn it off. It was a perfect teachable moment. This last earthquake was a catalyst for updating those earthquake kits and providing one for my husband’s car. It was also a perfect argument for replacing my iPhone 6S because the battery was nearly dead when I might have needed it most. It won’t hold much of a charge anymore and if the electricity is out, I’d have to depend on my car to charge it. So, the biggest expense will be a new iPhone.
I consider myself blessed that today we have the opportunity to become better prepared for living in earthquake country. Others in and around Ridgecrest aren’t feeling so blessed today and will need our financial and emotional support in the days and months ahead.