A Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake on the Seattle Fault (Part 2)

 You have just returned to bed after helping your husband off to the airport,  and glancing at the clock, see that it is almost 4:30 AM.  Just as you are drifting back to sleep, you are literally shaken out of bed by a terrible quaking.  You open your eyes, but it's black and you can barely see some large objects  in the bedroom being tossed around.  There is a loud boom; probably the dresser falling over, and something else is bumping up against the wall.  As the shaking continues, you are aware the bed is sliding towards the opposite side of the room.  The tremor lasts nearly two minutes, but it feels like an eternity.

The shaking finally stops and you wait for a few seconds, dazed on the floor.  You get to your feet and feel your way across the room.  Although you have trouble opening the door into the hallway, you are able to pry it enough to get through and feel your way down the hall to the boys' bedroom.

You find them unhurt, but scared and crying.  You lead them out into the hall , and grope your way along the wall towards the front door.  This way is blocked by debris that you imagine is part of the wall or ceiling, so you turn back and finally get to the kitchen and outside through the back door.  You had felt something sting your right foot in the kitchen, but didn't think about it until you get out into the back yard.  From the faint light of the morning sun, you see blood where you have been walking.  You look down and see the terrified faces of your children.

Your thought turn to your husband and wonder where he is and his condition.  You lead the boys out onto the lawn and away from the house, and find yourself shaking and you sense it's starting to rain.

Let's study the effects on those living in the Puget Sound area using the 8 Areas of Emergency Preparedness.

• Water: It is estimated that one third of households and businesses will lose water services, and it will take weeks or even months to fix these systems. Many will have to rely on emergency water supplies. 1
  
• Food: Transportation will be cut off for days or even weeks, resulting in a shortage of food and other necessities.  Because grocery stores stock only about a three day supply of food, if they are able to open, the stores will be sold out of most products within  hours, with no hope of restocking the shelves in the near future.  Remember, the worst time to prepare for a disaster is during one, but that's what most people try to do.
  
• Light and Heat: It is very likely that electrical and natural gas lines will break and not be repaired for weeks or even months, so lights and heat will not be available.  Cooking, washing clothing and staying warm will create a new challenge.  Remember back to the last wind storm that knocked out power to thousands of homes and  how many day it took to get every home back on line.  That is minor compared to the damage of a major earthquake.
• Shelter: Many homes will be uninhabitable, forcing thousands of people to seek refuge in emergency shelters, straining limited resources.
  
• First Aid and Medical Care: Treating the injured will be hampered because of a shortage in health care services.  Many hospitals will be damaged and unusable.  There will be a lack of medical supplies and medication.  Damaged roads and bridges will affect transportation, making it difficult to get staff and patients to medical facilities, resulting in inadequate care for the sick and injured.
  
• Communication: Phone lines and cellular towers could be damaged and the heavy use on the remaining systems will quickly be overwhelmed. 
  
• Sanitation: Damage to water and sewer lines and wastewater treatment systems will result in a serious health problem.  Garbage service will also be affected as a result of road damage.
  

The picture painted of a major earthquake and its aftermath is frightening, hopefully causing one to evaluate his or her readiness for such an event.  Review the 8 Areas of Emergency Preparedness and your level of preparedness in each area.  Read my blog entitled "Don't forget the crowbar."  If you are not sure about one or more of the areas, see EPNW's product list.  You can also send us an email or post a question on our forum.  We are ready and willing to help you be disaster prepared.

1 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute and the Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division. Scenario for a Magnitude 6.7 Earthquake on the Seattle Fault. First edition, June 2005. p 5

Photo used with permission of USGS

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