I know you all come here to grab some literature recommendations, or perhaps a homeschooling tip. Today's blog doesn't fall into either of those categories, and yet it really is something I want to you to hear. I URGENTLY want you to understand everything my husband and I had done wrong - and the one thing we had done right - twenty-five years ago today. Today, every parent, every family, every individual needs to read this. If you are responsible for someone else, if you are only responsible for your self, hear me. If you live where there are earthquakes, or tornadoes, or hurricanes, or blizzards, or - well - you need to hear this.
Today, January 17, 2019, is the 25th anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake. At the time of the quake, we were living in a little town called Fillmore, some 50 miles northwest of the epicenter. My husband and I lived in a tiny block house with our kids. We were a young couple with little money but huge dreams. On that January morning so long ago now (although truthfully, I can remember it so clearly it doesn't seem possible that it has been that long), at precisely 4:30 a.m., I was startled awake by a loud splitting sound -- sort of like a ripe watermelon splitting open -- under my bed. I jumped bolt upright out of bed, and was immediately thrown off my feet and into a door frame by the first jolt of the 6.7 earthquake. The force of the impact left a deep purple bruise down the left side of my face and from my collarbone to my knees. I grabbed the doorframe as the house seemed to lunge and jump.
It seemed that the very concrete under my feet was rocking 2.5-3 feet up and down, my two feet, braced apart, were literally not on the same plane. I could see my children's bed falling to a 45 degree angle with them in it. We had not secured their bunkbed. I called to them, and they came crawling across the floor. You know how they say to walk to the nearest doorway in event of a quake? Let me tell you - if the "big one" strikes, you aren't walking anywhere. You will be crawling. I later found out that this earthquake was on a "thrust fault" - so it wasn't my imagination. The ground really was jumping up and down.
This was our bed, or rather, what you see under the fallen block & board "bookcase" was our bed. Like most homeschoolers, we have more books than bookshelves. When the quake struck, and I was jolted against the wall, my husband rolled with me to try to grab me. That grab may have saved his life. Did you ever think a simple make-do bookcase could be life-threatening? Neither had we. We had not secured our children's bunkbed, the clocks on the walls, the pictures, the cabinet doors - we had not secured anything, to be honest. We simply had not understood the possibilities of this sort of force.
That morning we confronted a force of such raw power:
That morning we confronted a force of such raw power:
- Power that sends crayons flying 18 feet across the living room, leaving colored marks on the ceiling to trace their arc.
- Power that does not leave a single stick of furniture standing upright and hurls wall clocks across the room
- Power that empties every cupboard on all sides of a kitchen
- Power that walks refrigerators across the kitchen floor, ripping up linoleum, and then slams it into the drywall with such force that the magnetic letters on the frig go THROUGH the drywall
See that hole? There was a magnetic letter in that hole. :O See the bare floor? There used to be linoleum squares there. (I know, ug-ly. But that's not the point.)
I had open shelving in my kids' rooms, an unsecured bunk-bed, a gallon sized glass fish bowl on top of their dresser (which went sailing across the room...remarkably, the two goldfish survived in a shard of the bowl, on the floor, in about 1/2" of water when I found them!). The pictures on the walls, the items on the shelving, the books in the bookcase - NONE of it remained where it had been. ALL of it became airborne. I had left these possible projectiles unsecured where my babies slept.
And you know what else? We had very little food in the house, and no cash.
I had open shelving in my kids' rooms, an unsecured bunk-bed, a gallon sized glass fish bowl on top of their dresser (which went sailing across the room...remarkably, the two goldfish survived in a shard of the bowl, on the floor, in about 1/2" of water when I found them!). The pictures on the walls, the items on the shelving, the books in the bookcase - NONE of it remained where it had been. ALL of it became airborne. I had left these possible projectiles unsecured where my babies slept.
And you know what else? We had very little food in the house, and no cash.
This was the nearest market. Un-reinforced masonry does not fair well in an earthquake (or, I hear, in a tornado). Even the Vons - with literally every item now broken on the floor - was closed for a full week. If we had had a couple of gallons of milk in the freezer, even without power, we could have gotten by for a week. If we had had a few boxes of mac & cheese in the pantry, a couple cans of soup, $100 for gas and groceries. We didn't. And the main road (highway 126) had a gas line rupture, spewing a flame into the dark morning sky that must have been 50 feet high, or 100? We could see it from our house, and we were blocks away. The mountain passes were closed, too. At this point, our little town had no electricity, gas, water, or phone working. Of course, we had no cell phones yet, but I hear they are not reliable either, in an emergency. Be prepared. YOU are your own first responders.
We did not realize that all the businesses we depended on would be closed for at least a week after a disaster. Does that sound ... dumb? We just had not ever thought about it.
We did not realize that all the businesses we depended on would be closed for at least a week after a disaster. Does that sound ... dumb? We just had not ever thought about it.
Chimneys and block walls can be DANGEROUS. They also block roads & sidewalks immediately after an earthquake - or other disaster. Think about these things when you plan where your babies will sleep. Think about this when you buy a house, or rent. Think about this when you prioritize where to spend that few extra dollars you get as a bonus. Reinforcing masonry, which I had always viewed as a particularly unglamorous way to spend money, turns out to be incredibly sexy.
This is an older house in our neighborhood - just any house - so many of them looked like this. It was not secured to its foundation. The whole house just jumped right up off its foundation and fell backward. Have you ever checked to see if your house is actually ...CONNECTED?...to its foundation? Or is it just sitting there? I had never realized that could be a problem. I would NEVER have considered asking myself, "Huh. Wonder if I should go to Home Depot and buy a few Simpson ties to secure my house to the raised foundation?"
Never.
Never.
Here's another place in our neighborhood. See how short the front door is? It just jumped backwards right off the foundation. Many homes (not this one) were actually intact, but off the foundation. How sad is that? The house was strong enough to survive the quake, otherwise.
See the red sticker on the front post? That means the house is condemned. ALL the houses in our neighborhood had those stickers. This home is off its foundation, but even those that remained on their foundation often had water heater issues, with gas line ruptures. If your house is condemned, you cannot re-enter. Dozens and dozens of homes - I guess hundreds and hundreds, actually - were red-tagged in our little town. My husband had gone up and down the street helping neighbors - many of them elderly - by turning their gas off. There he was in his pajama bottoms, barefoot (because where WERE HIS SHOES?) with a flashlight and a wrench, running from home to home where they were smelling gas. He had not known where a wrench was when we first smelled it at our house that morning, and the climb over the mountain of things in the garage (including our motorcycle, which was at the bottom of a PILE of things that fell over) was made more difficult by not knowing where his shoes were (probably under the bookcase). The funny thing was, the exact wrench he needed was on TOP of everything else.
Horrible picture, I know. But....see that GREEN sticker? We were the only ones on our street that could stay in our home. This is my "true confession." The one thing we had done right? My husband had insisted (much to my dismay) after the Loma Prieta quake a couple years earlier that we spend $8,000 to take out all the walls in our house, put in studded reinforcement walls, and re-build the interior walls, because the house was un-reinforced brick.
The inspector on 1/18/1994 said, "Whoever reinforced these walls, saved this house."
I had argued with my husband until I was blue in the face over CHARGING that money to do that work ON A CREDIT CARD. He had felt so sure it needed to be done. He had worked diligently to do all the work himself, to lessen the cost. I was SO ANGRY that he was running us into debt.
Yes, I have apologized for being so wrong, in so many ways.
See that little boy in the picture? He is three years old. See that sweet face? Can I just tell you how deeply terrified I was that morning, mostly because we had not prepared to take care of this little guy and his sister? I am not one to bemoan or regret things that are beyond my control. I don't spend a lot of angst or worry on the "what ifs" of life. I tend to trust God, and not look back. But I am fully aware that our family was protected by grace that day. The "Should have" list is long.
The inspector on 1/18/1994 said, "Whoever reinforced these walls, saved this house."
I had argued with my husband until I was blue in the face over CHARGING that money to do that work ON A CREDIT CARD. He had felt so sure it needed to be done. He had worked diligently to do all the work himself, to lessen the cost. I was SO ANGRY that he was running us into debt.
Yes, I have apologized for being so wrong, in so many ways.
See that little boy in the picture? He is three years old. See that sweet face? Can I just tell you how deeply terrified I was that morning, mostly because we had not prepared to take care of this little guy and his sister? I am not one to bemoan or regret things that are beyond my control. I don't spend a lot of angst or worry on the "what ifs" of life. I tend to trust God, and not look back. But I am fully aware that our family was protected by grace that day. The "Should have" list is long.
The night after the quake, we had a huge double rainbow above our little town. To me, it was a reminder that God is in control.
Since that day, I have told my friends and family repeatedly to be ready in case of an emergency -- in fact, I'm sure they are SICK of hearing about it! Today, I am telling you.
Here are my TOP FIVE thoughts:
#1 - (On a scale of importance, I believe securing your environment is even more important that stocking up. Frankly, if you get conked on the head by a clock you won't care how much water you stored.) Assess your environment: Make sure you look at every room in your home. Do you need to secure large furniture/mirrors/pictures to the wall? Check out your bed. Don't have anything big hanging over it? Make SURE your hot water heater is strapped. Not only could it be dangerous if it toppled over and ruptured a gas line, that hot water heater is your best friend after a disaster - it holds 40 gallons of clean water! Protect it! Figure out now where your water and gas shutoff valves are. Put a shut-off wrench in the gas meter vault. Take a look at your foundation. Is your house actually CONNECTED to it, strapped down?
#2 - Plan Make sure everyone knows where to go in case you have to get out of the house. Front yard? Back yard? Out into the street? Look for someplace away from power lines and out of the line of anything that might fall. Designate a phone number to call if you get separated. (Somebody out of the immediate area - grandma? Auntie? memorize the phone number, and have your children memorize it too as soon as they are able.)
#3 - Prepare the House: Secure all the items you noted in #1, maybe put magnetic latches on cabinet doors. Don't skip the garage...secure heavy shelving units too! Tie a wrench on the gas valve with a string, so you can always get it turned off. Put a flashlight and heavy shoes next to every bed. (You will need the shoes after a severe disaster - lots of broken glass.) Make SURE your hot water heater is strapped in. (Yes, I know I already said that. It's important!).
#4 - Prepare Emergency Kits: Your biggest need is water, then food, first aid, tools & Supplies, clothing/bedding, and documents. We bought some backpacks and a duffel bag at a thrift store and have them hanging next to the outside door in the garage. We also have a huge plastic tub with some bigger things - also by the door. You could store them in a shed...it needs to be someplace you think will still be standing and accessible. Whatever works for you. I protect my water heater and have lots of bottled water hanging around. Plan on a gallon per person per day. Yes, that is a LOT of water. It is surprising how little we can actually "make do" with for a few days. Water. Canned food. First Aid basics. ( You don't "need" to cook the canned food, but you may want to boil water.) and warm clothes/bedding. You want a source of light (flashlights, battery operated lanterns, or even glow-in-the-dark sticks). You will want a way to get communication from the outside world (battery powered or solar powered radio).
#5 - Keep some cash handy. Fireproof safes are a great investment anyway - keep your original important documents in them...with some cash. Secure it in a bizarre place that you could get to, but no one else would think to look. Maybe between 2 x 6's in the garage walls? You won't need much, probably, but in 1994 in Fillmore there were no ATMs or open banks for days.
Don't get overwhelmed. Google ideas for first aid kits, pantry storage, but keep it realistic. Get started - maybe secure some tall furniture this weekend. THINK about storage next time you go to the grocery store. Grab a gallon of water and 2 cans of soup to start. Begin somewhere.
Do I sound a little alarmist? Sorry. That is the price I pay for living through this event, twenty-five years ago today. Being on top of an earthquake is a whole lot different than just being able to say, "Oh, yeah, I felt that!"
Make sure you are ready to care for your sweet family, for yourself, for your neighbors. I pray you never have to.
Blessings,
Since that day, I have told my friends and family repeatedly to be ready in case of an emergency -- in fact, I'm sure they are SICK of hearing about it! Today, I am telling you.
Here are my TOP FIVE thoughts:
#1 - (On a scale of importance, I believe securing your environment is even more important that stocking up. Frankly, if you get conked on the head by a clock you won't care how much water you stored.) Assess your environment: Make sure you look at every room in your home. Do you need to secure large furniture/mirrors/pictures to the wall? Check out your bed. Don't have anything big hanging over it? Make SURE your hot water heater is strapped. Not only could it be dangerous if it toppled over and ruptured a gas line, that hot water heater is your best friend after a disaster - it holds 40 gallons of clean water! Protect it! Figure out now where your water and gas shutoff valves are. Put a shut-off wrench in the gas meter vault. Take a look at your foundation. Is your house actually CONNECTED to it, strapped down?
#2 - Plan Make sure everyone knows where to go in case you have to get out of the house. Front yard? Back yard? Out into the street? Look for someplace away from power lines and out of the line of anything that might fall. Designate a phone number to call if you get separated. (Somebody out of the immediate area - grandma? Auntie? memorize the phone number, and have your children memorize it too as soon as they are able.)
#3 - Prepare the House: Secure all the items you noted in #1, maybe put magnetic latches on cabinet doors. Don't skip the garage...secure heavy shelving units too! Tie a wrench on the gas valve with a string, so you can always get it turned off. Put a flashlight and heavy shoes next to every bed. (You will need the shoes after a severe disaster - lots of broken glass.) Make SURE your hot water heater is strapped in. (Yes, I know I already said that. It's important!).
#4 - Prepare Emergency Kits: Your biggest need is water, then food, first aid, tools & Supplies, clothing/bedding, and documents. We bought some backpacks and a duffel bag at a thrift store and have them hanging next to the outside door in the garage. We also have a huge plastic tub with some bigger things - also by the door. You could store them in a shed...it needs to be someplace you think will still be standing and accessible. Whatever works for you. I protect my water heater and have lots of bottled water hanging around. Plan on a gallon per person per day. Yes, that is a LOT of water. It is surprising how little we can actually "make do" with for a few days. Water. Canned food. First Aid basics. ( You don't "need" to cook the canned food, but you may want to boil water.) and warm clothes/bedding. You want a source of light (flashlights, battery operated lanterns, or even glow-in-the-dark sticks). You will want a way to get communication from the outside world (battery powered or solar powered radio).
#5 - Keep some cash handy. Fireproof safes are a great investment anyway - keep your original important documents in them...with some cash. Secure it in a bizarre place that you could get to, but no one else would think to look. Maybe between 2 x 6's in the garage walls? You won't need much, probably, but in 1994 in Fillmore there were no ATMs or open banks for days.
Don't get overwhelmed. Google ideas for first aid kits, pantry storage, but keep it realistic. Get started - maybe secure some tall furniture this weekend. THINK about storage next time you go to the grocery store. Grab a gallon of water and 2 cans of soup to start. Begin somewhere.
Do I sound a little alarmist? Sorry. That is the price I pay for living through this event, twenty-five years ago today. Being on top of an earthquake is a whole lot different than just being able to say, "Oh, yeah, I felt that!"
Make sure you are ready to care for your sweet family, for yourself, for your neighbors. I pray you never have to.
Blessings,
RSS Feed
