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| This is a 300 acre ranch near Boise, Idaho. |
I am away this week. (Yes, I finally found someone I would trust to stay at the house and take care of my beloved horses.) This was a tough trip to take simply because it occurred on the heels of one of my dogs multiple copperhead bites. Before I left, the dog was very well recovered, and is still doing just fine. When I travel I don't usually spend much time on the internet, and so I usually don't make blog posts while I am away. However, I thought this was important to mention.
Several years ago when Wal-Mart and Sam's Club started selling Augason Farms freeze dried food and other items for preparedness, I did think it interesting. I learned also that many midwestern and western Super Wal-Marts actually have the Augason's #10 (industrial) cans on the shelves in their stores rather than simply available online. I told myself that they were exploiting, quite rightly, the opportunity to make money by providing us all with emergency food and nothing more.
A week ago, the Wall Street Journal wrote an article and related to us that Wal-Mart recently participated in exercises in preparation for a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault line. (The New Madrid covers Tennessee, Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas.) These states are a great deal more populous than they were in the 1880s, the last time a significant earthquake occurred there. The US Geological Survey has also admitted that there is potential for much more severe quakes than they had believed prior. I know there is no shortage of their little vans and trucks in Virginia within fifty miles of the epicenter of the 5.7 (or 5.8, depending who you believe) earthquake that occurred in 2011.
It is not my intention to frighten anyone, but a little preparation can go a long way in keeping your family safe from a significant earthquake which is a distinct possibility in many, many places in the United States.
Wherever you are and whether earthquakes have been known to occur in your region or not, please consider the following:
1. Check all of your bedrooms. Make sure that there are no large bookcases, televisions, stained glass hangings or anything else attached above beds that could collapse on the head of a family member in the event of an earthquake.
2. Secure televisions, bookcases, stoves and other large appliances, to the wall.
3. Do some reading on earthquakes, and create a written earthquake plan for your family.
4. Consider anchoring your hot water heater.
5. Place emergency supplies in a couple of different places on your property. A new galvanized trash can with emergency supplies placed in your garage could be all you and your family could access following a severe enough earthquake that you are prohibited from reentering your home until FEMA inspects it. Have multiple supplies in different places.
These are my prior posts on this subject:
The first four links below are important to read if you haven't before.
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/09/assessing-your-home-for-earthquake.html
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2012/04/expanding-our-knowledge-on-earthquakes.html
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2012/09/anchoring-and-securing-heavy-items-in.html
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/11/oklahoma-earthquakes.html
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-earthquake-anniversary.html
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2012/03/another-31-earthquake.html
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/10/earthquake-in-turkey-aftermath.html
http://rationalpreparedness.blogspot.com/2011/12/widespread-earthquake-in-mexico.html
Stay safe, and I will try to do the same.
