It has happened here
Fwho spent their formative years in Los Angeles in the 1990s, being shaken awake in the predawn hours of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1994 left an indelible mark on our psyches. It is our shared experience of how suddenly and unsparingly violent a major earthquake can be. It’s also a reminder of our collective complacency. Since Mexico was struck by two earthquakes this month — both far more powerful than Los Angeles’ 1994 temblor — multiple warnings have been issued about the likelihood of a similar disaster hitting Southern California. The death and destruction in Mexico City, we’re told, remind us of what is destined for Los Angeles.
Should Californians need reminding that earthquakes pose a major risk, as if the ground shaking underneath us isn’t a feature of life here? letters editor
Edward Beres of Pasadena envisions a scenario in Los Angeles like Puerto Rico’s curent condition:
The recent earthquakes in Mexico prompted your editorial board to list some of the measures that our governments are taking or could take to help reduce the damage that a similar event here will cause.
Reinforcing soft-story buildings in the city and giving folks several seconds of warning are fine measures, but you brush over what seems to be the most serious threat: “An earthquake of 7.1 or higher could leave you alive but stuck in a paralyzed community without power, water, functioning roadways and aqueducts, and Whole Foods.”
Most of the L.A. region’s utility and gasoline supply lines cross the San Andreas Fault, as do highways leading to warehouses that supply the region. I’d like to see some reporting on what our governments’ plans are for the aftermath.
It seems that rather than looking at the earthquake in Mexico as a preview of life here after the next big quake, Puerto Rico having no power for months in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria is a better glimpse of L.A.’s future.
Granada Hills resident Paul Burns details his preparation:
This past week’s events reminded me that I have done my summer update of my earthquake preparedness kit stored in the corner of my backyard in a 55-gallon container. Furthermore, I checked on my camping supplies, and I keep an extra propane tank ready. Also, I try to keep two cars with their tanks at least half-full.
Don’t be scared. Be prepared.
Hal Rothberg of Calabasas puts pressure on policy makers:
Our hearts go out to the people of Mexico. The loss of life and devastation are incomprehensible. Sadly, there’s a lesson to be learned.
Building codes and regulations must be stringent and enforced. Unfortunately, our administration’s antiscience and anti-regulations stands almost assure a wider array of disasters beyond those that devastated Texas, Florida and now Puerto Rico.
A hallmark of our democracy is the safeguarding of its citizens from carcinogenic air, buildings collapsing and much more. It’s a long list, and we each must remind our local, state and national representatives of our concerns and recommendations.
As with global warming, it’s not too late until it’s too late.