Do you know the Rodger's Creek Fault? It rests just beneath us in Sonoma County, including our Insurance Agency's office...! This fault is cited as the most likely source of a 7.0 magnitude, or greater, quake between now and 2035. When The Big One comes, we will be without forewarning and we will be at its epicenter...
The Rodgers Creek Fault, which lies east of the San Andreas Fault, is the main strand of the North American-Pacific Plate boundary north of San Francisco Bay. The two sides of the fault slip past each other at a rate of 6-10 mm/yr.
In the event of the unthinkable, is your family prepared? If you’re away from home when disaster strikes, will you have a degree of peace of mind, knowing your family is prepared and knows what to do?
Why Preparedness is Essential
Local government and relief agencies work hard to prepare for major disasters. However, despite their best efforts, there will be chaos for at least the first 24-48 hours after any major disaster.
Hurricane Katrina was one of the worst disasters in American history. We will never experience a hurricane, but we are likely to experience “The Big One,” the devastating earthquake we know will arrive some day. In New Orleans, everyone knew Hurricane Katrina was coming, so they could prepare and/or evacuate. There will be no forewarning of The Big One.
Disaster Response—The Cold, Hard Facts
Consider the reality of emergency response in Sonoma County following a major, widely destructive earthquake.
- There are only 20 active ambulances in all of Sonoma County.
- A 7.0 earthquake is projected to do extensive damage to all County freeways and highways, causing nearly 400 complete road closures.
- Freeway overpasses will collapse.
- Neighboring communities will also sustain severe damage.
- 9-1-1 will be swamped.
- In spite of everyone’s best efforts, there will be far less than adequate emergency assistance available to most of the population for 2 or 3 days, maybe longer.
What Can I Do?
If you are prepared for The Big One, you are prepared for anything. While government emergency preparedness agencies recommend you be prepared to be completely self-sufficient for three days, we strongly recommend you be prepared to be completely self sufficient for at least 7 days.
Where do I begin?
- The most important disaster preparedness step is make a plan.
- Review the plan once a year; update as necessary.
- Choose a family member/friend in another area/state to serve as an information source for you and your family: everyone calls there to get/leave information when they can’t directly contact any other family members.
- Put together survival kits and make sure everyone knows where they are kept.
- Carry some basic survival items in your car: water, food, flashlights, bandages, Mylar survival blankets, etc.
- After an earthquake, the floor is likely to be littered with broken glass. Put a spare pair of shoes and a flashlight—basic necessities should the earthquake occur in the middle of the night—in a plastic grocery bag and tie it to the headboard of each family member’s bed.
- Remember that without electricity there is no gasoline, no ATM machine, no way to buy groceries, no way to charge your cordless phone battery
- Keep an emergency supply of cash on hand.
- Have an old fashioned landline telephone: it will work if the electricity is out.
- Keep the gas tank in your car at least half full at all times.
These are just a few suggestions. Visit any of the following excellent resources for more information: