o all the people who are suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Watching this tragedy unfold was a stark reminder about the importance of emergency preparedness. And it should be a wake-up call to everyone that we can’t rely on the government to help in an emergency like this. That’s not a knock against the government—it’s a recognition of harsh realities: if tens of thousands of people need help, and basic infrastructure is damaged (roads, bridges, etc.), there is a limit to how fast mere humans can move to help, and there may be limits to what they can do. In a widespread disaster, stores will quickly run out of groceries and batteries; gas stations will quickly run out of fuel.
It pays for every one of us to be thinking of backup plans, and building that kind of thinking into our everyday lives. I’m not talking about the kind of disaster preparedness featured on National Geographic Channel’s “Doomsday Preppers” show, where people are building underground bunkers and stockpiling weapons. None of us can plan for every eventuality, and to focus on all the bad things that could happen to us could have us living in fear. However, there are some things we can do to help us cope when disaster strikes. I recently heard this referred to not as emergency planning, but as “redundancy planning.”
That’s a great way to think about it, because that’s what it’s really what it’s all about. Read More.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged the northeastern United States and especially devastated the New Jersey and New York shores, many people are soberly appraising their preparedness. It’s hard to anticipate everything you might need to deal with a disaster like Sandy. Do you require a generator? Don’t forget batteries, flashlights, candles, canned foods, matches galore, and of course a hand-crank emergency radio so you know what’s happening when all the power goes out.
One aspect of emergency preparedness is first aid. What do you need? For starters, it’s wise to store up on bandages. If you’re fortunate, you may never have to use them. But if you’re not, you’ll be glad you have them on hand. Of the many types of bandages available, I recommend the ones with cloth backing. Plastic bandages may be okay, but they don’t hold up like the ones with fabric. A large pack of assorted bandages gives you options – small, medium and large. Make sure that you have at least one roll of medical tape too, and some larger bandage pads. Alcohol swabs in individual packets can be conveniently stored in a pocket, purse or glove compartment. Read More.
East Coast Earthquakes Travel Farther
Data from the 2011 earthquake centered in Virginia shows East Coast tremors can travel much farther and cause damage over larger areas than previously thought, the U.S. Geological Survey said Tuesday.
The agency estimated about one-third of the U.S. population could have felt the magnitude 5.8 tremor centered about 50 miles northwest of Richmond, which would mean more people were affected than any earthquake in U.S. history. Scientists also found the quake that caused more than $200 million in damage triggered landslides at distances four times farther and over an area 20 times larger than research from previous quakes has shown.
“Scientists are confirming with empirical data what more than 50 million people in the eastern U.S. experienced firsthand: this was one powerful earthquake,” USGS Director Marcia McNutt said in a news release about the findings presented at the Geological Society of America conference in Charlotte, N.C.. Link is no longer available.
Philippines Rocked by a 6.5 Earthquake
Areas of eastern Mindanao felt the jolt of a strong earthquake early Saturday morning, according to a Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Earthquake Bulletin Nov. 3.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from the temblor, which hit at 2:17 a.m. local time and was recorded at 6.5-magnitude on the Richter scale.
The U.S. Geologic Survey recorded the quake at 6.1-magnitude. The quake’s epicenter was approximately 20 km