The big one hits and your house is flat.

[willseeker]

Sorry, I guess I can't control the part of me has practiced structural engineering specifically dealing with seismic effects on buildings for the past 13 years.

Ok, ahem! Here we go... I'd build a small structure in the back yard with the remains of the house. Maybe a lean to type thing. I carry 24/7 so I'd have at least one gun. I'd dig out the safe and access the rest.

Yeah!...now where's that safe specifically?


will

 

[pease]

the camp trailer there is food, water and gun stuff in there and its in the back yard and the wives truck is out side as well. My bother lives about 15 miles away and we have some other stuff there.

 

[MarkSBG]

Yeah!...now where's that safe specifically?


will

It's under the 6 foot high debris pile that used to be my home.

 

[matt_w]

I was reading about this type of quake not too long ago. They would expect many aftershocks as strong as 7.5 after a subduction zone quake in the PNW. I would think the best thing to do would be to live in a tent for a good week after the main quake to avoid getting smashed by a collapsing building or a thrown together lean-to!

<broken link removed>

 

[TAT2D]

After seeing the devastation in Haiti all I can think about now is water, water, water.

Did anyone see the bit on these water-filter pouches that was mentioned briefly in the Haiti coverage? They're little juice-pack sized pouches of some osmotic membrane and filled with electrolytes. You just toss 'em in a mud-puddle and in a half hour they swell up with drinkable fluids. One-time use and probably expensive, but interesting concept...

http://www.htiwater.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/...d=news_view&newsId=20100118005570&newsLang=en

I'd been thinking at some point I might put a rain-water catch barrel at the back of the house. Had figured if I put it up high, just below the gutter, it could gravity-feed to the garden. I'd also been working through an emergencies and preparations outline and had come to the conclusion that earthquake is a likely regional emergency. Hadn't dawned on me 'til just now that in an earthquake, my high-mounted water barrel isn't going to stay put.

MrB

 

[wavo]

YES! thank you for the links. I did see that report on KGW but after the news I went to their website and could find a link or story about the water pouch things. Thanks for posting these.

 

[redclk430]

I've only now started to prepare, but... First I'll try to put out the fire. Then I'll cry for a bit knowing that my mercedes is now under my house

Then I'll dig up my shot gun and take someone elses car. Then I'll drive to a dealership and steal a new truck or something along those lines. Then I'll head to a sporting goods store and steal what I can from there. After a trip to a gas station and grocery store I'll probably head out of state where the earth quake didn't effect and probably start over.

 

[MountainBear]

I've only now started to prepare, but... First I'll try to put out the fire. Then I'll cry for a bit knowing that my mercedes is now under my house

Then I'll dig up my shot gun and take someone elses car. Then I'll drive to a dealership and steal a new truck or something along those lines. Then I'll head to a sporting goods store and steal what I can from there. After a trip to a gas station and grocery store I'll probably head out of state where the earth quake didn't effect and probably start over.

You best hope a liberal owns the car dealership, sporting goods store, gas station, and grocery store, otherwise you may get a bullet in your butt for looting...

 

[JUSTIficatioN]

I have a small garage in the backyard thats really more like a shack so should it collapse it would be pretty easy to retrieve the survival supplies I keep there (food, water, a couple firearms and ammo, etc, etc). The biggest problem I have is living in Seattle and trying to get out of this sardine can of a city.

 

[redclk430]

I have a small garage in the backyard that's really more like a shack so should it collapse it would be pretty easy to retrieve the survival supplies I keep there (food, water, a couple firearms and ammo, etc, etc). The biggest problem I have is living in Seattle and trying to get out of this sardine can of a city.

Oh man, Seattle is surrounded by bridges and over passes. I can imagine it will be pretty hard to get out of the city. Unless of course during the course of the earthquake Mt.Rainer erupts, then I think your screwed no matter what since the mud flow is supposed to head right to Seattle and out into the sound.

 

[redclk430]

You best hope a liberal owns the car dealership, sporting goods store, gas station, and grocery store, otherwise you may get a bullet in your butt for looting...

I consider myself a Liberal. But no matter what, It should be interesting.

 

[MountainBear]

I consider myself a Liberal. But no matter what, It should be interesting.

Fair enough. My bad. I should have qualified that statement better. You better hope an unarmed liberal owns those spots. Cause otherwise your gonna get shot for looting... :gun18:

 

[dave]

Fair enough. My bad. I should have qualified that statement better. You better hope an unarmed liberal owns those spots. Cause otherwise your gonna get shot for looting... :gun18:

Yeah. That. You should be concerned with Good Americans seeing you try such a stupid thing. Most of the Good Americans I know would not be real happy to even witness you stealing. Get set up now with what you will need.
Planning to take what others have in a crunch will not be tolerated.
Regardless of how you vote.

 

[Mr.510]

I'd fire up the trackloader, attach the backhoe, and start digging out my food and gear. Most of it is in the rear corner of our daylight basement house so it'll be easy to find and less likely to be destroyed as the foundation at the back is seven feet high and a foot thick. There is no natural gas service in our part of the county so the chance of fire is pretty low. ALL flammable chemicals are stored in an outbuilding and fuels are in a shipping container.

Temporary shelter is a 20' shipping container but my wife will cry when we push her '55 Fairlane out into the rain! I've got a low profile 2-man tent and sleeping bags stored in the container for just such an emergency. A small tent inside a wind and rain proof enclosure is great for staying warm while sleeping.

The canvas is on the back of my Swiss Unimog troop transport so if we needed to leave (and not come back) we could load the recovered gear in there and split. Where we are, I cannot imagine a need to leave other than an invasion or medical emergency.

 

[PinkhamR]

Just Tornado's here ... hard to duck ...