The last major quake to hit L.A., the Northridge earthquake, which occurred on January 17, 1994, registered 6.7 magnitude on the Richter scale and killed approximately fifty people, and also injured over 9000. Of the fifty who died, it appears that twenty died as a result of a heart attack.

The Kobe earthquake in Japan in 1995 demonstrated how damaging and deadly earthquakes can be in urban settings. The Kobe quake killed 5,096 people and injured 26,797. One-fifth of the city's population was left homeless and more than 103, 521 buildings were destroyed. Most of the deaths and injuries occurred when older wood-frame houses with heavy clay tile roofs collapsed. The collapse of these buildings was followed by the ignition of over 300 fires within minutes of the earthquake. Response to the fires was hindered by the failure of the water supply system and the disruption of the traffic system.

There is much that one should do to prepare for an earthquake yet most do nothing. Do you know what to do when the earth starts rocking? Are you ready?

Follow the plan:

http://lafd.org/eqbook.pdf