Be prepared; the next ‘big one’ could happen anytime

In the Aug. 16, 1989 issue of the old Valley Press, geologist Vasiliki Vassil wrote the first of a series of articles addressing the series of fault lines in Santa Cruz County in the wake of a 5.1-magnitude earthquake that had struck a week earlier on Aug. 8.
In his article, Vassil said: “Some seismologists speculate that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, centered near Wright Station (in the Summit area), is likely to occur in the next 15 to 30 years.”
Two months — almost to the day — after this story was published, Santa Cruz County was rocked by the Loma Prieta earthquake.
Not only was Vassil very nearly on the money in predicting the quake’s magnitude — Loma Prieta was a magnitude 6.9 quake — it struck in nearly the exact spot Vassil had said it would.
The only thing he couldn’t predict was when.
Unlike other natural disasters, there is no known way to predict earthquakes with enough time left to prepare.
That means that, for residents of Scotts Valley and the San Lorenzo Valley communities, it is imperative that planning and preparing for a sudden natural disaster needs to be addressed in all households.
“Folks need to be prepared,” said Linda Lovelace, operations director for Valley Churches United Missions, one of the organizations that spearheaded relief efforts in the community in the wake of the Loma Prieta quake.
A quarter-century removed from the area’s last major quake means that many current residents were either not living in the area — or hadn’t been born yet — when Loma Prieta happened.
“Twenty-five years have gone by and there’s been a total transition,” Lovelace said. “People move here with no idea what could happen.”
When the next natural disaster occurs, Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley residents can turn to their local municipalities — the City of Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz County, respectively — to enact their emergency preparedness plans.
According to Scotts Valley Police Chief John Weiss, most city staffers are trained as to what their roles are in an emergency situation, training which culminates in an annual citywide disaster drill.
“We have everything we need to effectively manage a crisis for a number of days,” Weiss said. “For years, we have had an emergency preparedness plan — it covers a number of different catastrophes.”
In the wake of an emergency, Scotts Valley police and fire departments’ first course of action is to address any life-threatening problems, such as fires, collapsed buildings, or traffic accidents.
Once the emergency headquarters is established at City Hall, with City Manager Steve Ando directing overall operations, police and fire staff will begin to assess damage to infrastructure and the roads leading in and out of town, Weiss said.
Then, he said, recreation staff will be enlisted to scout out and begin establishing relief shelters for those in need of it.
While shelters would be available, Weiss advised that the safest thing for residents to do after an emergency is to remain in their homes — if it is safe to do so.
“Being prepared to shelter in place at home is the most important,” he said.
Fifth District Supervisor Bruce McPherson echoed Weiss’ sentiments, stating that the need for household emergency plans and the need to maintain a disaster kit are just a few of the lessons of Loma Prieta.
“When it happens once, it’s a wake-up call,” he said. “It’s up to each of us to have those emergency supplies available, and this is a good time to renew that commitment.”
While basic disaster kits are available through organizations such as VCUM and the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides a list of suggested supplies to create your own kit.
FEMA recommends that you keep the following items on-hand in case of natural disasters or other emergencies:
– Water, one gallon per person, per day for three days
– A three-day supply of non-perishable food
– Battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and a NOAA weather radio
– Extra batteries
– Flashlights
– Signal whistle
– Dust masks
– Duct tape and plastic sheeting
– Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties
– Wrench and pliers to turn of utilities
– Can opener
– Local maps
– Prescription medication and glasses
– Infant formula and diapers
– Important family documents (insurance policies, ID, bank statements) in a waterproof, portable container
– Cash or traveler’s checks
– Emergency reference material (first aid manual, etc.)
– Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
– Chlorine bleach for water sanitation
– Changes of clothes
– Matches in a waterproof container (not the same one as your family documents)
– Personal hygiene products
– Eating and cooking utensils
– Children’s activities
In addition to the list of supplies, Lovelace recommended that residents keep a corded, land line phone in their homes, adding that, during a disaster, “we found that communication is the first thing that falls apart.”
Corded land line phones usually will work, even during a power outage. Cordless phones will not work without electricity, and most cell phone towers will go off-line in a power loss.
Lovelace said that, despite the time that has elapsed since the last major disaster, it is of utmost importance to plan ahead for the next one — especially since by the time it happens, it’s too late.
“We may have all become a little lax in that area,” she said.