Editorial: Earthquake lessons

What you can learn from a 6.0 earthquake.

1. The Earth isn’t solid and gravity really does suck. Witness the hastily-patched rupture on Highway 12 between Sonoma and Napa where the road simply parted like a soft slice of American cheese. Witness the cascading torrent of uncountable wine bottles, olive oil bottles, vodka and tequila and single malt Scotch bottles that obeyed the laws of physics and surrendered their contents to every available hard service.

2. Cats and dogs may know it’s coming, but they can’t – or refuse to – tell us. Animal anecdotes are rife in the aftermath of the level 6 temblor, but we have yet to hear from anyone who can report that their pet approached them at 3:15 a.m. and whined, barked, yowled or otherwise tried to indicate that something very big and very scary was about to happen and perhaps everyone should wake up and huddle in the bathtub. We do, however, know of several cats that disappeared, and remained hiding for hours, in the back of deep closets, under the bed, under the bed covers, behind the sofa or in that mystery place they go when they just want to get away from that 4-year-old with the hairbrush.

3. Most of us are not remotely well prepared for an earthquake emergency. We were party to several conversations following Sunday’s shake in which the itemized list of recommended items for a home survival kit were already memorized but never purchased. That list includes enough water to satisfy the gallon-per-person-per-day needs of each household member, and enough canned food to do the same, plus a can opener. Spare flashlights, batteries and a battery-powered radio are essential, along with the means to light a fire in a grill or fireplace. Basic medical supplies should also be in hand, with a first aid handbook. A couple of tarpaulins are always handy, as is tin foil and heavy-duty plastic bags. A good street map can help you navigate larger neighborhoods when roads may be blocked and power is out. And if you want to add significantly to your security, a good water filter – the kind you can take camping – is a smart investment.

4. If you have experienced a 6.0 earthquake in the Sonoma Valley, and you are under 60, the odds are good you will experience another, larger one in your lifetime. That’s because the Rogers Creek Fault runs up the east side of Sonoma Mountain, terminating in the Santa Rosa Plain, where it can seismically access the Healdsburg Fault, which is estimated to be capable of a 7.5 Richter Scale event. A 1969 Healdsburg Fault rupture was rated 5.7 and did severe damage in downtown Santa Rosa.

5. We all live in a state of denial about future earthquakes, and we probably always will. But perhaps the American Canyon quake can serve as a healthy reminder that there are simple ways to prepare that can reduce the risks when the next big one hits, as it surely will.

6. In the midst of countless conversations since Sunday morning’s rude awakening (several with absolute strangers, and some who lost a lot), to a person, all have been grateful that no one died and that few were seriously injured. What was lost ceased to matter and could be replaced or forgotten. Natural disasters have a way of focusing our attention on the things that are really important. Would that our priorities were always so clear.