Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

2nd earthquake in one day in SF Bay Area

C

cuestakid

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jun 14, 2006
1,792
50
San Fran
http://www.ktvu.com/news/29546234/detail.html

Whats crreepy is that today was a state-wide earthquake preparedness drill. People all around the state practiced their preparedness drills and scenarios.


With that in mind I pose this question-
If you had to grab one tech related Gadget as you are running out the door in an emergency (quake, fire, hurricane, ect), what would it be (iPhones/iPods don't count, as those can just be stuffed in a pocket). I am talking desktops, storage, iPads, ect.


I would take my case of CDs/DVDs-since I would have my ipod on me, I would want the one thing that would have all my archived data, as well as my DVD collection.

Storage and laptops can be replaced-their data cannot
 
Taking the time to think about and grab something during an earthquake can get you killed or injured. I'd do the exact same thing I did when woken up in the middle of the night during a pretty big earthquake. Which is run to the nearest doorway and brace myself.

Believe me all your precious gadgets become the meaningless junk they are during and after something as shocking as a large earthquake. What's more important is verifying the safety of your family and finding a safe route out of the building you are in. One of the more dangerous parts being exiting your house as you don't know what could be ready to fall off the building.

Those 3.8's and 4.0's are just tiny tremors.
 
I'm a born and bred Californian. I've been through many medium-sized quakes and 2 large ones (Loma Prieta and Northridge; I was a few miles from the epicenters of each). I wasn't thinking of all my shaking possessions, I was hoping not to die. :eek:
 
iBlue said:
I'm a born and bred Californian. I've been through many medium-sized quakes and 2 large ones (Loma Prieta and Northridge; I was a few miles from the epicenters of each). I wasn't thinking of all my shaking possessions, I was hoping not to die. :eek:
Click to expand...

Exactly. I don't think I've ever given two thoughts to anything other than GET THE **** OUT and GET EVERYONE ELSE OUT. Everything else I had was replaceable and what wasn't would be preserved in the form of said human being that I was following or guiding out of wherever I was.
 
jessica. said:
Exactly. I don't think I've ever given two thoughts to anything other than GET THE **** OUT and GET EVERYONE ELSE OUT. Everything else I had was replaceable and what wasn't would be preserved in the form of said human being that I was following or guiding out of wherever I was.
Click to expand...

I get the feeling that people who haven't ever been in a big earthquake really underestimate how unnerving it is. You're taken totally off guard in such an intense and inexorable way. Highly unpleasant.
 
iBlue said:
I get the feeling that people who haven't ever been in a big earthquake really underestimate how unnerving it is. You're taken totally off guard in such an intense and inexorable way. Highly unpleasant.
Click to expand...

Heck, I've only been in a few small earthquakes and I find them very unnerving! As others have posted, in a big earthquake my tech stuff is going to have to fend for itself as best it can....

Which reminds me. It's time to rotate my backup into the safety deposit box.....
 
I would grab my cat and that's it.

If I had time, then my Time Machine external. But I keep a clone backup offsite (3,000 miles away @ my parent's) which I rotate every year, and I use dropbox for all my documents, so I'd be fine if I couldn't get the TM backup.
 
I have only experienced one small earthquake, Extremely disquieting!! The only thing I grabbed as I hastily exited the premises was my dog. :eek:
 
Just a quick reminder:

If you're inside during an earthquake, stay inside. Don't run outside. Move away from windows, mirrors, and large objects; seek refuge in a hallway or under sturdy furniture. (Drop. Cover. Hold-on.)

The most dangerous thing you can do during an earthquake is attempt to leave a building.

If you're already outside, move away from any buildings, telephone poles, power lines, etc. as quickly as possible. The greatest danger exists directly outside of any building.

There's also no need to run outside after an earthquake unless you have a reason to believe that you're not safe inside. Outside isn't necessarily safer.

Oh, and the only reason why you should be grabbing any piece of gadgetry is if it's a phone, in anticipation of dialing 911 for immediate help.

*Steps down from soapbox* :)

That said, if it were a fire I would grab my external backup drive if I knew I had the time and it was safe to do so. Earthquakes don't matter much because my data will survive the shaking, and flooding/hurricanes occurs with some warning so I'd have the time to grab the essentials.
 
EricNau said:
Just a quick reminder:

If you're inside during an earthquake, stay inside. Don't run outside. Move away from windows, mirrors, and large objects; seek refuge in a hallway or under sturdy furniture. (Drop. Cover. Hold-on.)

The most dangerous thing you can do during an earthquake is attempt to leave a building.

If you're already outside, move away from any buildings, telephone poles, power lines, etc. as quickly as possible. The greatest danger exists directly outside of any building.

There's also no need to run outside after an earthquake unless you have a reason to believe that you're not safe inside. Outside isn't necessarily safer.

Oh, and the only reason why you should be grabbing any piece of gadgetry is if it's a phone, in anticipation of dialing 911 for immediate help.

*Steps down from soapbox* :)

That said, if it were a fire I would grab my external backup drive if I knew I had the time and it was safe to do so. Earthquakes don't matter much because my data will survive the shaking, and flooding/hurricanes occurs with some warning so I'd have the time to grab the essentials.
Click to expand...

I don't for a moment question your expertise in this matter. Living in CA makes knowledge of what to do during an earthquake de rigeur. :eek:

But I have a question based on the (possibly incorrect) cliche that "earthquakes don't kill people, buildings kill people". Based upon that, wouldn't it be safer to exit a building IF there is enough space outside that building to go far enough away that you would not be harmed if the building came down - e.g. an open field?
 
EricNau said:
Just a quick reminder:

If you're inside during an earthquake, stay inside. Don't run outside. Move away from windows, mirrors, and large objects; seek refuge in a hallway or under sturdy furniture. (Drop. Cover. Hold-on.)

The most dangerous thing you can do during an earthquake is attempt to leave a building.

If you're already outside, move away from any buildings, telephone poles, power lines, etc. as quickly as possible. The greatest danger exists directly outside of any building.

There's also no need to run outside after an earthquake unless you have a reason to believe that you're not safe inside. Outside isn't necessarily safer.

Oh, and the only reason why you should be grabbing any piece of gadgetry is if it's a phone, in anticipation of dialing 911 for immediate help.

*Steps down from soapbox* :)

That said, if it were a fire I would grab my external backup drive if I knew I had the time and it was safe to do so. Earthquakes don't matter much because my data will survive the shaking, and flooding/hurricanes occurs with some warning so I'd have the time to grab the essentials.
Click to expand...

^This.

In college i lived with international students, and during a ~3-4 quake, you could tell them from everyone else because they all ran outside, but the Californians knew to stay inside from earthquake drills in school.
 
EricNau said:
Just a quick reminder:

...(Drop. Cover. Hold-on.)

The most dangerous thing you can do during an earthquake is attempt to leave a building.

...
Click to expand...

wordoflife said:
I didn't know this - thanks.
But, I still question this. What if the building collapses? :(
Click to expand...

Shrink said:
...
But I have a question based on the (possibly incorrect) cliche that "earthquakes don't kill people, buildings kill people". Based upon that, wouldn't it be safer to exit a building ... ?
Click to expand...

Daffodil said:
^This.

In college i lived with international students, and during a ~3-4 quake, you could tell them from everyone else because they all ran outside, but the Californians knew to stay inside from earthquake drills in school.
Click to expand...

It should be noted that the advice to stay inside, and to Drop, Cover, Hold-On applies to North America, and may not be applicable elsewhere. Check with your local authorities.

In North America, buildings don't tend to collapse during an earthquake. North American wood-frame, single family houses, are among the safest places in the world to be during an quake. Bigger buildings in North America quake zones tend to be much younger than buildings in Europe and else where - so they have been built with at least a some seismic reinforcing. Actually, they have been built to be flexible so that the move during a quake more, which I believe allows to absorb the forces instead of fighting it. Due to these factors, and many others, buildings in North America are much much more likely to stay standing. However, book shelves and the ceilings tend to come down so you need to protect yourself from flying debris (hence - the duck and cover advice).

In places where they build using concrete and masonry, and especially the older buildings, pancaking can be an issue. I don't know what the proper advice is for those places, but it could be that evacuation is the proper action in those places. And this may be what the International Students are doing.

There is a very mis-leading video that makes the rounds every year or so, from a so called earthquake rescue specialist. The video recommends that people evacuate, and not Duck, Cover, Hold-on. The video then shows all sorts of pancaked buildings. What he doesn't mention is that all of those buildings are not in North America.

There seems to be another soap-box here too.... I now return you to your regularly scheduled rant....:)
 
wordoflife said:
I didn't know this - thanks.
But, I still question this. What if the building collapses? :(
Click to expand...
It's very rare for buildings to collapse in the U.S. If it does, hopefully you're under a study piece of furniture. Additionally, most structures won't fully collapse; you probably won't be pinned under a beam like it's portrayed in the movies. But if you are unable to leave the building, bang on a pipe or blow a whistle to alert emergency services of your whereabouts. Don't shout; you'll loose your voice and inhale a lot of dust.

Shrink said:
But I have a question based on the (possibly incorrect) cliche that "earthquakes don't kill people, buildings kill people". Based upon that, wouldn't it be safer to exit a building IF there is enough space outside that building to go far enough away that you would not be harmed if the building came down - e.g. an open field?
Click to expand...
That cliche is largely true, but building façades pose the largest risk from a building: they are typically the first part of a structure to lose integrity. What you have, then, are bricks, large glass frames, chimneys, church spires, etc. all toppling to the ground on the surrounds of a building: exactly where you would be standing if you ran out of your house during an earthquake.

Problem is, even if you're trying to evacuate to an open field, you have to walk through the very dangerous area around a building. All the while large pieces of building are falling all around you. Earthquakes don't last much longer than a minute (ok, the largest can actually last upwards of 4 to 5 minutes :eek: but that's atypical); you'd probably not make it very far before the shaking stopped. Additionally, it's not easy to move during a quake. It's far more likely that you'll injure yourself trying to move, either by falling down the stairs or getting hit with something on your way out (because you've exposed yourself to the hazards while trying to escape).

In the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, over 2/3 of the 120 fatalities occurred from those who ran out of their buildings.

There are dangers inside a house too: bookshelves tip over, chandeliers fall, kitchens become a mess of broken falling glass, etc. But it's best to move away from these hazards and hide under a heavy piece of furniture or along the inside wall of a hallway. Your house, while it is a danger in and of itself, also protects you. It's rarer for buildings in North America to lose structural integrity.

Everything snberk103 said is exactly right. It's nice to have another soapbox stander, and those who are willing to listen. :)
 
Last edited:
Thanks, EricNau. :)

Lots of good information. Let's hope none of us have put it into use. Especially our mates in California.

Be safe...:D
 
Born and bred Cali guy here. Been through a ton of earthquakes. I find them more amusing than anything. Worrying about dying or not I think is just silly unless you're in a rickety building. If a large earthquake hits, you usually have a few seconds to think before it really picks up. I take the second to think and observe whats happening around me before I dash like a madman, not know what I may get myself into.

Its not like the ground will open up and swallow you.
 
In the case of an earthquake, I've been through enough of them to know that my first instinct is to protect myself and those close to me. It all happens too fast to think about data loss or going for tech gadgets. I'll be diving under the desk or a table asap.

In the case of a fire, IF I wasn't in the direct vicinity and in immediate danger and if I could get to them, I would grab my iPhone and/or my laptop. Otherwise I'd be getting the hell outta there. I can't replace important info if I'm dead.

With hurricanes and tornados, while we don't have them in California, I'd expect some warning, so I'd definitely have my laptop and phone with me.

I'm terrible with maintaining backups. I should really get a Time Machine and let the process get automated. But if I think about it, other than photos, I don't really have anything that I couldn't live without. I mean I'd be bummed if I lost my old saved work, but I'd manage without.
 
snberk103 said:
Heck, I've only been in a few small earthquakes and I find them very unnerving! As others have posted, in a big earthquake my tech stuff is going to have to fend for itself as best it can....

Which reminds me. It's time to rotate my backup into the safety deposit box.....
Click to expand...

Which reminds me of a little anecdote of my computer being saved during the Northridge earthquake in 1994.

Next to one another I had a computer desk and shelving spaced a few feet apart. On top of that desk I had my brand new IIvx and 14" Magnavox CRT. During that earthquake my monitor toppled off my computer. The only thing that saved my screen and it whipping my computer off the desk. Was that my desk and shelving crept together during the quake and pinned the screen between them as it fell.
 
Two months ago when we had that quake in Virginia, the shaking in Pennsylvania was fairly strong.

Anyway, the first thing I did was move away from my glass furniture, window and sat my ass down until the shaking stopped.

Then I went outside to see if there was an explosion or something. I didn't consider the possibility of an earthquake until I started getting texts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back