Earthquake.....2,400 dead-----100,000 homeless ( many years ago, one thing I still remember, and hope I never forget) | Emergency Preparedness | Forums

Been a long time since I have posted, perhaps it is fitting that I just remembered that today many years ago I was in an earthquake that killed 2,400 and left 100,000 homeless.

Sure how do you prepare for an earthquake ?   Well I could post a few comments about people trapped in rubble for days, drinking their own urine and similar stories as a reminder, probably not a bad idea to keep a bottle of water with you whenever you can.

I remember keeping a bottle of water, small amount of food in a pack, and always bringing my motorcycle helmet into tall buildings in the weeks following the quake.   The aftershocks still sent buildings swaying a bit, it was not fun to be way up on some high floor following such a large quake and to feel the building move from aftershocks.

One thing that I hope I never forget is I remember that night prior to the quake thinking that something "was not right." 

" Something was very odd."

I started out across town on my motorcycle and just felt something was not right, the air felt different.

The moon was crazy big, bright, and seemed to look " close."  I remember thinking it had a strange look to it.

Then a hard rain very difficult to describe, very large drops of rain (maybe the biggest I have ever seen) but spread far apart started to fall.

This rain ended quickly and back to the strange feel in the air, the look of a very powerful moon.

About an hour the quake hit.

Sure once again, how does any of this help in an earthquake, it probably does not, but it is a reminder to listen to your gut,  your instinct.

I may not know why things felt strange but I do know it is another reminder that we are blessed with some form of radar, when things just don't seem right, they probably ain't.