Quote:
Originally Posted by ZonieDiver
I lived in St. Louis, MO for a time (hell on earth  ), and attended an earthquake awareness seminar for my children's school. It was suggested that the specific tool be "wired" to the pipe beside the shut-off valve so you didn't have to look for it, or go get it - IT WAS THERE!
When and if the New Madrid Fault line spring to life again, the St. Louee Mizzou-eee area could be in for a world of hurt. Office buildings in that area are not built to CA earthquake standards, and the death/injury projections vary widely by the time of day that the quake occurs. IF during working hours - astronomical. At night, when people are in homes, not nearly as bad. |
ZonieDiver--
We in L.A. received that guidance as well.
I still cannot believe what I thought I saw the walls doing in 1994.
It seemed as if a giant was using the house as an accordion. In my disbelief, I groped stupidly at what I'd read about naval warfare in the age of sail. Of how the wooden hulls of ships would, at times, bend obscenely yet not break from the impact of cannon balls.
(It did not help my state of mind that during that earthquake, memories of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake came flooding back--unbidden, unwelcome, unrelenting.
)
Well into 1995, when a heavy truck would rumble down a street, you'd see Angelenos tighten their jaws and then shoot each other looks of relief when they realized what had made the ground shake.
IMO, SoCal's collective response to Haiti speaks not only to our best qualities as Americans but also the deep-rooted understanding that, at any moment, we can be the ones crying out from the ruins.
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