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For those of us living in the PNW, we know that our region is due for a major earthquake: not if, but when. Having worked in 360+ Seattle-area homes, I can tell you that most of us are not prepared.
This is understandable. Preparing for the unknown can feel both abstract and stressful. An earthquake might happen in days, or not for decades. Plus, we all have limited time, energy, money, and storage space, so emergency preparedness often does not occur as a top priority.
However, if you've worked with me, you know that I like the sayings 'done is better than perfect' and 'action is the antidote to anxiety.' So below are manageable, small actions you can take right now to jump-start your preparedness efforts.
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The big picture
At preparedness workshops I’ve attended, the presenters - fire fighters, police, nurses – all stress that in the event of a major earthquake, emergency services will focus on Seattle's downtown core, not on surrounding neighborhoods, and that the focus will be on saving lives, not saving property.
They therefore suggest preparing to be self-sufficient without power or running water for up to three weeks, much longer than the 7-10 days recommended on the Seattle.gov emergency management website.
There are many aspects to emergency preparedness, including:
It's a lot! But in the short term, you can start right now with these
3 steps to take in 30 minutes:
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#1 - Do a reality check
Take 5 minutes to find your home on the Seattle and King County Ready website.
Instead of worrying in a generalized way about 'The Big One,' I found it reassuring to see my neighborhood’s specific risks. This helped me decide how to focus my efforts.
For example, as my house is not at risk for tsunamis or landslides, I'm not focusing on being able to evacuate quickly (beyond keeping a go-bag in case of fire, for example). Instead, I'm focusing my efforts on preparing for sheltering in place at home and on keeping updated supplies in my car.
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#2 - Order bottled water delivery
Take 10 minutes to order a monthly delivery of drinking water.
To me, the peace of mind and convenience of having drinking water delivered to my home is worth the fee. I have a standing monthly order with Mountain Mist for a sturdy box of six 1-gallon jugs of distilled water. (In an earthquake, these heavy-duty sealed boxes are less likely to bounce and split open than would unsecured plastic water bottles.)
The CDC recommends having on hand one gallon of water per day, per person, for both drinking and hygiene, so three weeks' worth is 21 gallons per person. When I have sufficient stores of water, I rotate out the oldest for use in my garden, plus Mountain Mist allows a 3-month pause on regular deliveries.
The sealed distilled water lasts for six months. In an emergency, I could also use older stored water for hygiene, and/or follow the EPA's instructions of how to disinfect drinking water, including how many drops of unscented chlorine bleach to add per gallon.
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#3 - Order non-perishable food
Take 15 minutes to order shelf-stable foods that you actually like.
Below are examples of tasty, nutrient-dense, non-perishable items (plus some comfort foods) that you can order right now.
Mountain House freeze-dried meals, soups, more soups, curries, tuna, beef and turkey sticks, cheese crisps, plant protein powder, Nutella, nut butter, crackers, almonds, raisins, hard candies, instant coffee, tea bags, shelf-stable cream.
Before buying in bulk, I recommend taste-testing your emergency foods to see if you like them and if they agree with your stomach.
How much to have on hand? Ballpark: 2000 calories per day x 21 days =42,000 calories per person.
If it feels overwhelming or too expensive to order large quantities of food, consider starting with a small selection, then adding on monthly.
Pro tip: Use a Sharpie to write expiry dates on the tops of cans and packages. Mark your calendar with a date two months BEFORE a batch of food expires to either use them up or donate them to your local food bank.
I hope these suggestions energize your emergency preparedness efforts!
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