I don't have a special kit as such, but I am prepared for the next large earthquake. We have secured all tall furniture to the walls, but I should probably get some child-proof latches for my upper cabinets - that's where I had some of the largest mess in 1994. We have plenty of water, which I have stored in a safe place. In '94, my water bottles got broken by things falling on them, and so I am more careful now. We have a hot tub and can use water from that for cooking and washing. Also, we have camping equipment stored in the garage, which includes propane lantern and propane stove, but we also have barbecue that we can use for cooking, including one that is propane. My brother wants to get rid of the old propane BBQ, but I told him he would regret it if we had no gas. We have plenty of rechargeable flashlights that are plugged into outlets around the house. I have way more food than I need to survive, and in '94 I was also able to feed the neighbors. We have a portable potty in the garage, but we could also dig latrines, if necessary. Not being able to flush a toilet was the biggest inconvenience I noticed in '94.

I think you are also supposed to store stuff in you car, but I have not done that.

I always keep more than a week's supply of medications on hand. It would be nice to have a solar powered battery charger for cell phones. We also know where our gas shut-off is and have tools to turn it off when necessary. We don't have a generator, but I do not find that to be necessary.

I had earthquake supplies when we still lived in SoCal, most of those came with us to our new home in the upper Midwest (Nebraska) just not the food and water which has to be periodically replaced anyway.

We were shocked that we felt the Easter quake where the epicenter was past the Mexico border, since we lived on the OC/LA County border, and the quake lasted the longest I have ever experienced with a quake - before this summer I lived in SoCal my entire life. We also felt the one in La Habra but that was to be expected due to relative proximity to the epicenter. My aunt lives within 5 miles of where the epicenter was and had things fall off shelves in the house and garage, and a partial slide of the slope on one side of the backyard which sent a lot of dirt and rocks down to the street. I know a lot of people freak out when an earthquake happens, but remember that these smaller quakes release a bit of the pressure and strain that builds along a fault - the longer it goes without a quake the more likely it will be a bigger one when it happens, so wish for little quakes more frequently!

No, I do not have an earthquake kit.

What I would like to know is those who do…how is the premium on your homeowner’s insurance?

I have paid way too much for insurance, over many years, because our area is supposed to be “in the zone” for hurricanes. The Cape has not had a hurricane since 1991, but yet, we still pay way over what is fair.

Many homeowner’s can’t find insurance. So, they need to turn to:

We don’t have earthquakes on the CT shoreline, but like most people in this area, I buy a lot of bread and toilet paper when a storm is coming. Seriously though, when a hurricane or other big storm is expected I make sure my flashlights, candles, water, and firewood (in case it’s needed for heat) are in place. I also check that we have enough food for a few days.

Hi Emily,

Great question!

My "go bag" is actually a backpack with the intention that we need to leave our home in a moments notice for whatever reason. It is packed with the idea that we will not be able to use a vehicle.

I have aqua water purficiation tablets, rope, tarps, duct tape, cash, change of clothes, medicine and an absurd amount of "weapons-tools" i.e knives, pepper spray, machete, axe, etc.

My old boyfriend was a cop, he told me what to pack. He said having sharp objects was paramount in a survival situation.

I really need to go through it though...

I have an earthquake kit. We are a huge family (9 living here daily, up to 15 on days when we do childcare for family) so rather than individual bags I have three plastic bins with wheels and handles. Each bin has meals and snacks for 9+ for one day plus disposable plates, utensils, etc., hand sanitizer, menstrual pads, first aid and meds. In addition I keep on hand enough water to allow 3 liters per person per day for three days, in gallon jugs that can be easily tossed in a vehicle. I go through them all in October each year and donate any food near it's expiry, replace whatever food needs to be, and refresh the water. All important documents, some cash (USD and CAD) kept in a firesafe box in our bedroom.

If necessary we could get all the food, water, and documents into the vehicle in less than five minutes. Another five minutes would give us time to throw toothbrushes, undies and socks, pillows and bedding into backpacks but after the wildfires in BC this summer I am motivated to get backpacks pre-packed with those things.

Another thing I do is be dilligent about keeping the van gassed up to at least 3/4 of a tank. I want to be able to drive as far as necessary to get to safety and waiting in line at a gas station is not my idea of an organized evacuation!

I live in NYC, we don't generally have earthquakes but we get tropical storms. When Hurricane Sandy hit, we lost power for a week. I had a sprained ankle and we live on the 17th floor. It was a nightmare trying to get hotel rooms. My parents, who live a couple of blocks from the ocean lost power for a month, and they're on the 13th floor.

So now, when a major storm is coming, we just leave the city and go to our house upstate. I will never chance it again.

No, here in Northern New Mexico it hasn’t been an issue.