In that case you have to rely on your EDC. For a while I put a lot of effort, perhaps too much effort, on trying to come up with an urban survival kit I could have on my person when the answer was in my EDC, not a "kit." Once I realized that EDC is the answer, the question of what I should EDC came to mind. That was quickly answered by a simple concept. Using a word processor, I listed all of my concerns in an urban environment and under each concern I listed items I can have on my person at all times that would address those concerns. Some items can address more than one concern so I have those items listed more than once, once under each respective concern. I've updated my EDC based on this list and later updated that list. I have the list saved on my computer so I can go over it when needed.

Jeanette Isabelle

Earthquake predictions are still far to unreliable to take such measures as bugging out prior to the event.

However, there are some patterns. I've noticed that epicenters tend to "walk" down the faultline, and after the Mexicali quake I knew that we would be getting a bunch. You can't release that much load from one section of the fault without it being taken up somewhere else.

1) Basic preparations, like having all tall funiture strapped to the wall and earthquake insurance. It ain't the quake that I really fear, it's getting squashed under 500 lbs of bookshelf and contents.

2) Have procedures in place (water, gas, electricity, structure checks after the shaking stop)

3) Now would be a really good time to keep a wrecking bar handy. Also, keep the car tanks and spare water topped off.

I have been through a bunch of 5+ pointers, and outside of falling shelves and ceiling lamps, I got through them unscathed.

I don't worry about predicting earthquakes. I can spend my time more efficiently by working on things over which I have more control. My EDC bag, I'll work on that. I would like to add more rope/cordage, my fluorescent bandana, and some band-aids! Some current items would have to go...decisions, decisions.

I Certainly wont think Someone is Crazy for having an Idea to, Serve the Purpose of Warning of a Disaster!We are Too Premature,Technology wise, for the prediction of pending earthquakes!The worse that could happen is,"My experiment went Awry!"& Wouldn't that be Similar to our History,ie. Canary in a CoalMine?"Sorry folks,I was wrong,I guess the air isn't Bad in Here,Since my canary is Still Alive!"or"May you be Blessed,Sir Christopher,Should you Not return,We will assume"You've fallen from The earth!":)

A lot of good can come from a careful examination of the home for objects that might fall or get displaced and crush or trap someone. Bookcases, refrigerators, file cabinets, water heaters are just the beginning of the list of things that might be issues. Sometimes these can be fastened to the wall or floor to keep them from shifting or falling over. Getting crushed is just one of the risks.

A file cabinet that falls in front of a closed door effectively blocks the door. The bookshelf in the hall can make a hall into a major obstacle.

Substitutions can also be useful. Substituting two four-foot tall bookshelves eats up floor space but gets you more shelf space at far less risk if they do topple. Remember it isn't just the shelves falling over. The complete works of Marcel Proust, leather bound and in the original French, hurts if it falls on you. Falling from four feet is easier to take than from seven or eight.

Even stuff that wouldn't seem like an issue can nail you. A Hummel collection that falls and shatters can shred your feet and immobilize you. Even if it does stop you exposed wounds in time of limited sanitation is an invitation to a major infection. Broken glass can puncture lighter soled shoes.

Doing something as simple as making sure you know where everything is can help save time and build confidence.

People who are really running scared have been know to sleep in a tent in their backyard, or a nearby park. A tent of flat ground, ideally bedrock, is pretty safe. No worry about the roof falling on you. Worse case you can cut your way out with a pen knife.

I'll throw in some thoughts from here at Los Angeles. By the way - you would think that the majority of people in Southern California would be ready for the Big One. But in actual fact they are not. This problem is also the Number One hazard from a giant earthquake in L.A. The problem is not just the damage to the city, but rather how the civilian population reacts after the earthquake. Los Angeles has few sources of fresh water, and not a lot of good road access (esp. if major freeways are down). So that means that in 2-3 days after a major (widespread) quake, when huge numbers of people starting running out of drinkable water, things could turn pretty ugly.

Setting that issue aside for now, there have been a number of excellent thoughts expressed on this thread:
1. Put some earthquake supplies in your vehicle.
2. Have a good plan to build a makeshift toilet (something that stops contamination getting into ground water).
3. Be prepared to sleep outside for extended periods of time
4. If you've got pets - how are you going to feed them and get them water?
5. The more food storage and water storage you've got - then the less reasons you have for being out on the streets. This reduces your chances of unfriendly encounters a lot.

I'd like to bring up one of the major challenges. Although death is unlikely, debilitating injuries are certainly possible. Open wounds, compound fractures of limbs, skull fractures, burns, etc. These kinds of things can cause a lot of pain. It is reasonable to think that good medical attention may not exist for weeks. And pain medication for severe injuries is not allowed for civilians. So there are real problems related to wound care, prevention of infection, pain experienced over long periods of time, and lack of sleep.

other Pete

My Observations say Otherwise,I think Most people here in SoCal & Los Angeles are,Quite prepared for Earthquake's,Whether it be Large or small!The Bldg Codes are some of The Strictest in The nation&Our Road system aside from The FWY is Huge & Vast,There are many useable Alternative Highways & Roads,That I've used when the FWY system was down in '94!Water?Where in All of The United States is There a Large City,Where Water is NOT brought in by Pipe?Tsunami is Something Los Angeles is Not prepared for,though we have Marked areas in the coastal regions depicting whether,You are in a Tsunami Zone,or Are leaving a Tsunami Zone!One more Observation:In this day & age here in L.A.,There seems to be a Widespread Proliferation of Pain Medication,Especially in The Civilian Ranks,So Black market,Pot Stores or Otherwise,I don't think for a second,It's going to be an Issue!

Rich ... I hope your optimism turns out to be correct, and that my pessimism is unfounded. Seriously! But in the neighborhoods where I live, I don't see many people keeping their earthquake survival kits up-to-date. What i do see - is a lot of families who are extremely busy coping with daily life. I think a lot of folks will be depending on what's in their kitchen pantry. That's a hit-or-miss approach to survival.

I'm lucky because I live on top of a local hill. There's not much tsunami risk up there. Tidal waves are a potential problem for people in low-lying areas, like the beachfront at Hermosa Beach.

When I talk about "pain relief" ... I'm not talking about trivial pain. Alcohol and marijuana are not going to do anything to cut down the level of serious pain that comes from badly fractured limbs or crushed body parts. Some countries allow people to buy codeine over the shelf - which is at least a start in the right direction (though even codeine is not great against serious pain. But it can relieve bad toothaches and migraines - which helps!). I'm not sure there is any really good answer to the pain issue .... but this is going to be a problem for injured people.

The same concerns also affect the issue of infections. Our first-aid systems in the USA all assume that patients can be seen by a doctor in a few hours. When I went through EMT training (many years ago) the joke was that the entire treatment protocol always boiled down to 2 steps ... "oxygen and transport". But this is unrealistic in a major city affected by a widescale disaster. A large-scale emergency requires a treatment protocol where open wounds need to be properly sterilized and dressed - to seriously reduce risks of infection. This is a legitimate survival concern. But standard first-aid training does not cover it at all.

other Pete

CERT certainly opened my eyes to the issues of injuries after a local disaster, especially the fact that we're essentially on our own for 24-96 hours. Imagine putting up your neighbors in your house for 5 days (my aunt says fish and house guests start to smell after 3 days, under the best circumstances); now imagine that they have compound fractures, skull fractures, lacerations, crush injuries, and round the clock medical needs. Nasty. CERT doesn't really give you many tools to cope with all that, but at least tells you what may happen - its up to you to take Wilderness First Aid and any other training that can begin to prepare you to provide medical care for that first 72 hours.

The other items on Pete's list are all valid - if you have pets, make sure you have a supply of pet food, first aid and other necessaries for them. In other words, keep at least a week's supply in inventory and circulate through that. Food, water, toilets - all can be covered ahead of time, if you make the commitment.

It all requires some forethought and preparations for sure, but its not so daunting once you start to think things through, and if you're lucky, organize some of your neighbors to do the same. And there's one advantage, if you are doing the planning, maybe you can plan NOT to host the neighborhood morgue in your garage. Hope for a better spot than that.

Well ... the big earthquake in Japan was a vivid reminder for us to get our act together out here in Los Angeles. My wife and I will be holding a special earthquake drill for our family tomorrow night. It's important that our kids know what to do. In addition, we will be adding to our stored water and food, and i will add extra cooking fuel and blankets to our earthquake supplies. Extra meds and bandages too.

The Japanese earthquake is relevant to us for a couple of reasons. Since the 2004 tsunami that hit Thailand & Indonesia, there have been a lot of big earthquakes around the Pacific rim. I can think of big quakes in Chile, Baja, New Zealand, Indonesia and Japan. To me, this seems to point to the fact that the tectonic plates under the Pacific are undergoing significant adjustments in their forces. How much longer before we see some sort of major adjustment on the American side of these plates?? I have to believe it's getting closer.

Second, a lot of people tend to equate earthquakes in L.A. with shaking of the land (above sea level). But we are also potentially vulnerable to a major undersea quake, just like they had in Japan. I would venture to guess that the Japanese are better prepared for tsunamis than we are - by several orders of magnitude. We will take some very serious damage if we get an 8.9 earthquake located off our coastline. It won't affect my house personally, because I live on top of a hill near the beach. But i am starting to think about having some rescue gear available for this kind of thing. I can drive down to the beach in about 5 minutes. It would be pretty easy to throw some gear into my pickup and get down there immediately after a serious tsunami incident. Any suggestions? ... I'll consider them.

cheers,
other Pete