Fair warning: Be prepared

New Orleans is a mess. If you’ve been reading or listening to the

reports, you know that chaos reigns.

OK, now imagine a band of thugs looting Fashion Island. Imagine

everyone in the Mesa Verde section of Costa Mesa having to go to the

bathroom in a Styrofoam cup or similar container. Imagine having to

sit in front of your house in Corona del Mar with a shotgun to

protect yourself and your family.

Imagine having no water to drink, even from a public drinking

fountain at South Coast Plaza. Imagine having no gas or electricity.

Imagine you have plenty of money in a bank account or bank accounts

all over Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, but you cannot withdraw any

funds to buy emergency supplies.

Imagine that you are away from home, even as close as Los Angeles,

but you are unable to find any transportation home.

Imagine that you want to leave town but cannot.

Imagine that the house in which you live has been completely

destroyed or determined to be uninhabitable.

Unlikely? Quite the opposite. All of the above things are

happening in New Orleans. Not only are most or all of these scenarios

also possible for Newport-Mesans, they are probable. Sooner or later,

the effects of a very strong earthquake will wreak havoc in the area.

There are several mistakes we can make in the meantime. The first

one is assuming that some city, county, state or federal agency will

be around to help you. Our nation’s history of reactions to large

disasters is not very good. If you need proof, review the response of

the Federal Emergency Management Agency to several of the most recent

natural disasters.

While it may be able to provide limited assistance, no assumption

should be made.

The second mistake we can make is assuming that people we know

during peace will respond the same way to chaos.

Another mistake is going on with our daily lives today as if

nothing will ever change.

Since we’re only a few weeks away from an important state

election, perhaps it would be good to hear from the local candidates

about whether they believe we are adequately prepared to respond to

an 8.0 earthquake, and if not, what he or she plans to do about it.

I’d rather know about that or about the state’s miserable energy

policy or the state’s environmental protection plans than whether

someone supported an extinct issue such as the El Toro Airport.

Use Katrina as a wake-up call, as a bullet dodged. Here’s what you

should be doing right now:

Keep some cash in very small bills hidden in your home. Perhaps

$200 to $300. You’ll need this because you will not be able to access

your ATM. You’ll need cash because the electronic cash registers in

stores will not be working, and you will not be able to use a debit

or credit card.

Keep several gallons of drinking water available. I was told

recently that the water we buy off the shelf at the grocery store

should be rotated every six months, but that may vary according to

the type of container.

If you leave home on errands or on trips to another local

community, assume that if an earthquake hits, the roads will be

impassable, and that if you want to get home, you’ll have to walk.

So, keep a backpack in your trunk, one that has energy bars, water,

sunscreen and some good walking shoes.

Look around the house for items on shelves that could fall

shatter. There are earthquake-specific adhesives that can secure

those for you.

Make arrangements for someone out of town to act as your

“communications central.” Phone systems will be down, but as service

is restored, out-of-town service will be first.

If you have kids in school or day care, learn what the emergency

procedures are. If the school or day care center does not have a list

of people authorized to retrieve your kids because you can’t, get the

list to them immediately.

Get a generator. But be careful about storing gasoline. Check with

the fire department for gasoline storage rules.

Get a bike. It may be the best or only way to travel other than by

foot, as streets may be restricted to emergency vehicles.

In short, become as self-reliant as you can, not just because it’s

the smart thing to do, but because you will then be better able to

help others.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and a freelance writer.

Readers may leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at

(714) 966-4664o7.

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