You Ready For The Big Earthquake?

There’s a story on KOIN 6 today about it being the 322nd anniversary of the last “Big One” earthquake along the Oregon coast.  On January 26th, 1700, a monster shake occurred in the Cascadia Subduction Zone off our coast, and the resulting tsunami reportedly washed ashore many miles, destroying many native settlements along the water’s edge.  (Obviously, these tales are pre-written history, so not proven.  But widespread.)

And according to everybody who studies these things, we are “overdue” for another one, and we are also vastly underprepared for another one.  A similar tsunami would result in an absolutely mind-boggling amount of damage if (when) it happens again, and the people who survive would be without an infrastructure to help them in their struggles.

So that brings me to my question…  you ready?  Even if you don’t live on the coast, a disaster of that magnitude will affect everybody.  There are ports along the coast that would be destroyed, which would eliminate the supply chain.  Available disaster money would be wiped out trying to help, preventing any further aid from reaching inland folks in the event of a small-scale disaster here.  All available philanthropy would be directed to the victims, thus harming the people who depend on that in non-affected areas.  There’s a million more “downstream” effects it would have, some of which neither I nor you nor officials would be able to predict.  It would be a life-changing event if it ever happened.

They say having two weeks of supplies is the standard.  That amount of time would allow the rest of the country to mobilize and get aid where its needed, thus alleviating the local response.  However…  we can’t possibly believe that two weeks would be enough, do we?  Hell… at the beginning of this pandemic, you remember how hard it was to get toilet paper?  For like…  months!  And that was a tiny disruption.  Imagine not being able to get water, because the quake messed up our pipes.  Imagine there being NO milk at the store.  Imagine all meats are wiped out because of rightfully-panicked people.  And that’s just here in town!  Not even contemplating how miserable the suddenly tens of thousands of people who suddenly have no homes along the coast.

If this happens…  you’ll be on your own.  Make sure you have enough to survive.  And that means food, water, power, and yes, sadly, the ability to defend yourself against malicious people who either couldn’t afford to prepare or weren’t willing to, and now want your supplies.

Get ready; it’s coming.  Someday.

~Jake from 98.7 The Bull