If there's an SF earthquake I don't see the point of evacuating afterwards. Evacuating /before/ would be great, except unlike hurricanes, they're not predictable. SF weather is not very severe even in the wintertime. I'd say people whose homes are still standing and not at risk of collapse should just stay put. Those whose homes or neighborhoods are crashed should either seek shelter or get by outside (it can get chilly at night but no one will freeze). Main thing they should do is put ample supplies of fresh water or desalination equipment (pacific ocean) in place.

San Francisco suffers from deferred maintenance in all of its infrastructure, including and most notably the water sytem.

I keep a 7 day supply of water.

The bridges were built because the excellent ferry system was allready overtaxed. San Francisco Bay is one of the most underrated dangerous bodies of water, both inside the gates and out. If a truly 'big one' hits outlying areas, especially the PCH may also be damaged. The last thing I'd want to see are neophyte sailors becoming great white brunches off the Farallons. My great grandmother was in the 1906 earthquake. She jumped under the massive oak desk I am working at with a Bisley Colt. For our survival gun contingent I think it was a .38-40 backed up by a long hatpin.

Maybe you should start making friends with these guys. They might be the first ones on site in the event of a disaster...

Reserve Army Units in the Province of British Columbia

I was surprised to see there are no regular army units in BC ! You can look up Navy & Air Force units in your Blue Pages .

For that Chris, I'll raise a Molson Canadian to your grandmother. Which was more dangerous, the gun or the hat pin?

BC used to be home to the Canadian Army Engineers. The base in Chilliwack would have provided exactly the type of assistance required after an earthquake. It was far enough away from an urban centre that it would have fared very well itself in an earthquake, but close enough to get assistance to Vancouver and surrounding suburbs. The base was a major economic contributor to the town and there were some very angry British Columbians when it was closed. Of all the places in the country most in need of military engineers, we were it.

Well, watching the feeding frenzy could be entertaining. Still, it might be just as big a hassle trying to get outta the bay as it would be overland.

Looks like that airscooter is about the only choice.

I also was thinking along these lines. But you have to be well prepared. Get a no frills sturdy boat. Know it inside out. Practice navigating in all weather conditions, fog / night-time... A GPS is great for these situations. Track a number of escape routes and navigate them using your maps (paper) compass & GPS. Fuel will be an issue, especially in inclement weather. Where will you go? What will you do when you get there? There are many questions to answer and there is a lot of work to do to prepare, but it could prove to be your only option if staying put in an untenable situation or navigating to safety are your only choices. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I used to live in the south Bay area. Personally, if a major quake hit the area, near the coast would be one of the LAST places I would want to be. There could be a tsunami, or not, but standing on the waterfront waiting to see which doesn't sound like the smartest move I could make.

Besides, aren't many of the communities around the bay (like Foster City), built on fill? The general consensus when I was there was that housing built on fill on the edge of a large body of water that was then shaken would quickly resemble something like a pit of quicksand.

As to leaving by boat... you may pirate a boat from shore, but what if you are out-pirated by meaner &/or better-equipped pirate dudes than yourselves? Walking the plank with a bullet in your chest sounds.... a bit iffy?

Sue

You know, that airscooter is sounding better and better...