5:29am : I am sleeping on a cloud.

5:30am : The cloud shakes and I fall towards the ground.

5:31am : I wake up in a start and find my bed rocking back and forth.

EARTHQUAKE!!!

5:34am : I am back in slumberland.

I wonder if that is how others who have lived in California feel. This morning around 5:30am, there was a 3.1 magnitude earthquake located a bit south of San Francisco. Most residents in the Bay Area probably slept through the whole episode. With the rumbles lately, one can’t help but think back to the Loma Prieta quake in ’89 and dread the next big one.

To prepare for a disaster, it’s always good to read up on what to keep on hand. The Red Cross is always helpful in these cases:

1. First aid kit and essential medications.
2. Canned food and can opener.
3. At least three gallons of water per person.
4. Protective clothing, rainwear, and bedding or sleeping bags.
5. Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries.
6. Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members.
7. Written instructions for how to turn off gas, electricity, and water if authorities advise you to do so. (Remember, you’ll need a professional to turn natural gas service back on.)
8. Keeping essentials, such as a flashlight and sturdy shoes, by your bedside.

I’ve done 1, 2, 4, and 5. I have bottled water but I doubt it’s three gallons worth. And I have never heard of 6, 7, and 8 as being part of the list before.  But, in these situations, it never hurts to be overprepared.