I was raised to always keep my car gassed up because you don't want to get caught in nasty winter weather without a full tank. Recently, I heard another reason to keep your vehicle fueled...earthquakes. I have no idea if any of us in the valley will ever have need for this information, but with the recent seismic activity in the area, I thought I'd share a few pointers I've become aware of.
1. Keep your vehicle fueled. If an earthquake occurs, there will be aftershocks. You're going to need a full tank to get out of the area, and gas stations may or may not be operating.
2. Keep shoes near your bed. The first thing you should do once the ground stops rumbling is put shoes on. You don't know what broken items you'll have to step over. Now is not the time to injure your feet.
3. Text loved ones rather than call. This is true for any catastrophic event. The lines get bogged down by all the calls and you'll have a little bit better chance of reaching out to those who need to know you're okay if you text them.
4. Water may be just as scarce as fuel. Make sure you have a clean supply nearby. I'm told that even if you have water coming out of the tap, the cleanliness may be compromised if pipes have been ruptured somewhere.
5. Make sure you have a first aid kit in your house/car/office for small injuries.
Follow the link below to learn more about preparing now, surviving during, and being safe after from FEMA.