PCC Geography: Mr. Lee

ARE YOU READY?

Sep 04, 2005

The continuing horror of hurricane Katrina continues to unfold. The countless stories featured on the TV, radio, and print media raises one big question: Are you ready for a disaster?
Residents along the Gulf Coast states live in hurricane country. We, in southern California live in earthquake country. Many technical specialists say the ?“big one?” is coming; the magnitude 8.0+ ?“killer quake?” is bound to happen. The Northridge earthquake of Jan 17, 1994 was a mere 6.7 lasting only 15 seconds. Yet it left about 22,000 homeless and wreaked $44 billion in damaged property.
Those in the storm-damaged areas of Louisiana and Mississippi tell horror stories of lack of living space, water, food, and shelter. This should be a wake up call to everyone in southern California. Are you prepared?

USE THE GEOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS MODEL
You can use the Geographic Systems Model to assess your situation and prepare for disasters. Earthquakes top the list for most of urban southern California. That puts the focus on the Lithosphere with some critical links to the Hydrosphere and Biosphere. While the focus might be the Geology of earthquakes, the immediate concerns for life and safety quick shift your attention to the Biosphere (especially other people) and Hydrosphere (especially below dams and reservoirs and along the coasts). Use the Geographic Systems Model to assess the potential hazards to your location (home, school, work, etc.). Then prepare a plan to handle the emergency conditions.

CONSIDER THE BASIC HABITAT ELEMENTS
In order to live, all living things need a certain amount of space, water, food, and shelter. The hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast is full of horror stories of a lack of space for people to get out of the damaged areas. Critical shortages of safe drinking water, food, and shelter (e.g. somewhere to live as well as to get medical treatment) abound. Sanitation became a problem after only a few days. How prepared are you for a disaster in southern California?

CONSULT THE FOLLOWING SOURCES:
Use the Earthquake Preparedness sources below to prepare an emergency plan and supply kit for you and your family.

LA Fire Dept. Earthquake preparedness; http://www.lafd.org/eqindex.htm
Family plan: http://www.lafd.org/eqfampln.htm
Home: http://www.lafd.org/eqsuplys.htm
Food: http://www.lafd.org/eqfood.htm
Water: http://www.lafd.org/eqwater.htm
Auto kit; http://www.lafd.org/eqauto.htm

American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_583_,00.html
Preparing: http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_601_,00.html
Supplies: http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_3_,00.html

GEOG 1 / 10 EXTRA CREDIT
An incentive of 50 points of extra credit will be given to students who submit the following items with photo documentation of their earthquake / disaster kit. (Hint: Be sure you address all areas---space, water, food, shelter in your plan.)
1) Family emergency plan
2) Inventory of the emergency kit contents (for home, car, office, school---any one of these)
3) Photo of you and your emergency kit.

Put all materials into a report folder / cover. No Loose Pages Please.

Photo: (c) 1994, G.K. Lee. A Van Nuys apartment building damaged in the Northridge earthquake.