Slashdot Asks: How Prepared Are You For an Earthquake?

With three earthquakes of some significance in the news this weekend (Chile, California, and Iceland), it seems a good time to ask: If you live in an area of seismic danger, how are you prepared for an earthquake (or tsunami, mudslide, or other associated danger) and how prepared are you? Do you have a stash of emergency supplies, and if so, how did you formulate it? In the U.S. alone, it's surprising how many areas there are with some reasonable chance of earthquakes, though only a few of them are actually famous for it — and those areas are the ones where everything from building codes to cultural awareness helps mitigate the risks. I'm not sure I'd want to be in a skyscraper in Memphis or St. Louis during a replay of the New Madrid quakes of 1811-1812, which is probably worth worrying about for those in the region. Beyond personal safety, do you have a plan for your electronics and data if the earth starts shaking?

Comments

Firearms?

[ring-eldest]

It is hard to believe there aren't more people including at least one firearm on this list of necessities. I live and work in the Memphis area, and while I might not be the best prepared person in the event of an emergency even I have a selection of handguns and rifles that would be at the TOP of any list of emergency supplies. You can't get more basic than a simple tool that will allow you to feed your family as well as defend whatever emergency supplies you have gathered.

Is this crowd really so anti-gun that such a basic, life-saving tool would be scratched off the list completely?