Experts agree that earthquakes are the most serious threat to those of us living on the California coastside.  Our community is located almost on top of the San Andreas fault (as well as the San Gregorio fault), which makes us extremely vulnerable to loss of life and property.  The question is not if a large earthquake will occur, but rather, when the next large earthquake will occur.

The Threat

Geological studies provide unmistakable historical evidence of numerous major seismic events along our local fault lines.  The time lines they establish for future major earthquakes are convincing; “There is a 62% probability that at least one earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or greater will occur on a known or unknown San Francisco Bay region fault before 2032”.  The “good” part of being able to look through this window into our shadowy future is that it allows us to prepare ourselves. The “bad” part is that, short of moving, we must accept that there is an additional real cost of living here, in one of the most desirable locations on our planet… the cost of being prepared.  Understanding the threat and what should be done about it is relatively easy; actually doing it - becoming properly prepared - is significantly more difficult.

Although earthquakes are the most potentially devastating of Mother Nature’s threats here on the coastside, there are many other disasters of lesser magnitudes that pose serious threats.  But, if you are prepared for the “apocalypse,” you are essentially also prepared for everything of a lesser nature.

That being said, preparation costs time, money and effort, generally in proportion to the seriousness of the threat.  These are things we value greatly.  To determine how to most effectively expend these valuable resources we need to know the many faces of the threat and the most economical and efficient ways to deal with it.  In that regard it is important to be aware that the coastside has very little infrastructure redundancy, increasing our vulnerability to virtually all threats.  The following is a simplified list of the serious threats, looked at from a coastside perspective, we might expect to face:

• Earthquakes
• Tsunamis
• Flood
• Fire
• Severe Storms
• Terrorist Events
• Ground Traffic Isolation
• Associated Utility outages

The Challenge of Being Prepared

Buying insurance against the economic affects of any of these events will help (you have insurance, right?), but people come first.  The most serious challenge is for you to be prepared to survive in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, and to be able to support your family, friends and neighbors.  If you can do this you will ensure that you become a part of the solution and not part of the problem.  Bear in mind that in a disaster, normal emergency services will be tasked far beyond their capacity to respond to every emergency request.  It will be up to you to provide that response.

When preparing for disaster, consider (especially if your job requires you to be at your place of business to perform emergency duties) that there is only a 25% chance that an earthquake will occur while you are at work -- odds are very good that you will be at home.  Proper preparation is necessary at both locations.

If you are away from home when disaster strikes, you may be unable to return home or communicate with your family.  To not have made proper preparations may not only put them at risk, but may also compromise your ability to act in aid of the larger community.  It is likely that your ability to function well in a disaster environment will be compromised by your concern for your family.  You can mitigate this stress with proper preparation.  Knowing that your family is prepared will allow you to better go the aid of others that are in need.  Remember, in accordance with California government Code 3100, all state, county, and local government employees are designated “Disaster Service Workers” if a declaration of a State of Emergency is issued

Preparedness Resources

There are basically two areas of disaster preparedness responsibility---two sides of the same coin--- to consider: individual and governmental responsibilities.  The volume of public information currently available on these subjects is extremely large and prohibitively time consuming for most people to sort through and review.  For those of us on the coastside, a very helpful source of information is the City of Half Moon Bay web site, www.half-moon-bay.ca.us (or simply search Half Moon Bay and the site will pop up near the top in Search Results).  The Emergency Preparedness Information section provides good, basic information and links to other information sites.  The most useful link under Other Helpful Links is to the San Francisco-Office of Emergency Services-How To Prepare site.  Although there are many excellent sites, this site, www.72hours.org is the most complete and user friendly site you will find anywhere. However, the one document everyone should read is USGS Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country Your Handbook for the San Francisco Bay Region. This Handbook, located at http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/2005/15/, is the best basic instructional document available.

Numerous organizations, including your Half Moon Bay Fire Protection District, are currently working on the best ways to provide the learning tools necessary for you to become an active part of our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) effort.  As different methods are developed you will be provided with the contacts for becoming a part of your own neighborhood CERT.

The price for living in our wonderful coastside community includes your thoughtful preparation.  We hope this information makes that process a little easier for you, and that you will revisit this site often for updates on both individual and governmental issues involving Half Moon Bay and the coastside.