It is best to be prepared for whatever disasters may come

By Greg Mellen, Behind the Badge

A historically bad winter with storms and flooding, preceded by several years of record wildfire seasons, have tested Californians and their preparation for natural disasters.

So, what could possibly be next?

Well, California is just one – long overdue – slipped disc away from a massive earthquake. And if you think tsunamis are not a “thing” – think again.

ReadyOC, Orange County’s leading emergency preparedness website, has information on general preparedness as well as valuable emergency-specific information, including earthquakes and tsunamis.

The next ‘big one’

Earthquakes remain an ever-present threat. The 7.8 quake in February that leveled parts of Turkey and Syria provides vivid evidence of the awesome devastation temblors can wreak. Those disasters don’t just happen a half a world away. This winter, a 6.4 earthquake struck offshore of Humboldt County, toppling and damaging 15 buildings, buckling several roads and bridges, and knocking out power for more than 70,000 residents. Had the shaker occurred closer to a more populated area than Ferndale, population 15,000, those numbers would have increased by orders of magnitude. For decades scientists have warned we are just a tectonic strike-slip from the “Big One.” It’s not an if, it’s a when, where, and how bad.

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