Signal Tribune Newspaper

BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer

According to geologists, a massive earthquake could strike Southern California any day. While many people prefer not to even think about it, federal, state and local agencies must be ready to deal with the widespread death and destruction that will result from the temblor.
In order to hone the preparedness skills of emergency responders, the state of California, in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as well as county and city governments and their various departments, is planning the Great Southern California ShakeOut. The disaster drill is scheduled for November 13 beginning at 10 a.m. So far, about 5 million people have registered to participate in the exercise.
“This exercise is designed to test the capabilities of the state of California and individual communities in the event of a major earthquake,” said Signal Hill Police Chief Tom Sonoff in a report he and SHPD Captain Ron Mark made to the city council about a week ago. Mark oversees the city’s emergency preparedness plans.

Mark pointed out that the Great Southern California ShakeOut is based on a potential 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault. That would be 5,000 times stronger than the 5.4 magnitude earthquake that shook the region on July 29. “As a reminder, the 1994 Northridge earthquake was a 6.7 magnitude quake,” he said. “That left 72 dead, 9,000 injured and billions of dollars in damage.”
He explained that for every one-tenth of increase on the Richter Scale, an earthquake is ten times stronger. “A 6.8 magnitude earthquake is 10 times stronger than a 6.7 magnitude earthquake,” he stressed.
The ShakeOut web page includes this statement: “An earthquake of this size (7.8) will cause unprecedented damage to Southern California– greatly dwarfing the massive damage that occurred in Northridge’s 6.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred in 1994. In summary, the ShakeOut scenario estimates this earthquake will cause some 2,000 deaths, 50,000 injuries, $200 billion in damage and other losses, and severe long-lasting disruption. The report has regional implications and is a dramatic call to action for preparedness.”
Mark noted that the exercise will be the largest earthquake drill in United States history, and the state of California is asking everyone to drop and cover for two minutes starting at 10 a.m. on the day of the drill. He explained that according to the scenario planned by the state, the strongest shaking will occur where the San Andreas Fault passes through the Coachella Valley, Inland Empire and Antelope Valley, and the shaking will continue for two to three minutes. Seconds after the temblor begins, pockets of strong shaking will form away from the fault where sediments trap the waves. In the projected quake, those pockets would be located in the San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles.
The earthquake would also trigger severe shaking in Long Beach and Signal Hill, which lie above the Inglewood Fault. Mark explained that all Signal Hill City employees would duck and cover for at least two minutes during the onset of the drill. He stressed that, in the event of a major earthquake, the best thing to do is duck and cover– not run out of a building. He explained that in major earthquakes most injuries occur from flying shards of glass and large objects like bookcases falling over. Mark said the safest place in times like that is under a table or desk. “In this day and age with the types of buildings that we have, there is a very slim chance of a building collapsing,” he added.
Long Beach Police Lieutenant Eric Ledesma agreed. He explained that a practice known as “the triangle of life” is practiced in Third World countries, where buildings have not been constructed or retrofitted to withstand an earthquake. The practice involves lying down next to a desk or other object instead of trying to hide underneath it. “If a building pancakes it will collapse the desk so your best bet is to lie next to the desk so when the building falls it will form a triangle next to the desk where you can be wedged in until rescuers reach you,” he said. “Most of our buildings nowadays are designed to withstand significant shaking, so in the United States your best bet is under that desk.”
Ledesma and two other LBPD officers are on the city’s critical incident management team. He explained that city employees will be directed to duck, cover and hold and then officials will practice making damage assessments. Ledesma added that the Long Beach’s police, fire and other departments will participate in exercises in conjunction with the city’s emergency operations center starting about a week before the Great Shakeout and lasting until about a week after the earthquake drill. “Basically this will allow each department to prepare for this type of an emergency,” he said.
Mark said the SHPD’s mobile command post will be put into use during the November 13 drill. He explained that the city’s disaster plan will also be tested on that day to ascertain its strengths and weaknesses.
Many local hospitals will participate in the ShakeOut exercise. Mark urged all residents to have their own emergency preparedness kits in their homes, cars and places of employment as it might take a few days before rescuers or relief workers could get to them. He added that the kits are for sale at Signal Hill City Hall.
The State of California is urging all businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals to participate in the Great Southern California ShakeOut. For more information, go to www.shakeout.org

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