Speaker: Thursday, November 13, 2008.
It’s a sunny morning in Southern California.
Across the region, 7.5 million people are busy at work.
Several hundred thousand of them are commuting to jobs
in different counties far from where they live.
Over 200,000 commuters work and reside on opposite sides
of the San Andreas Fault.
Today, these families and many others across the region
will be separated.
1,800 people will die.
53,000 people will be injured.
And $213 billion in damage will occur.
It’s 10:00 AM, the largest earthquake to hit Southern California
in modern times had just begun.
Some people react appropriately, others don’t.
In the intense shaking, nearly 1,500 buildings collapsed.
Infrastructure is severely compromised and 300,000 buildings
suffer significant damage.
The rupture travels 200 miles northwest along the San Andreas Fault.
Violent shaking lasting as long as two minutes in some areas.
Finally, the earthquake is over.
Many of the lifelines of Southern California have been disrupted.
A large number of people are trapped in collapsed buildings.
Over 1,600 fires start, some turning into super confligrations.
Millions of people are trying to use their phones
causing the system to become overloaded.
In the months ahead, there will be tens of thousands of aftershocks.
Residents will struggle to recover from the earthquake.
There will be no water for weeks or months, and no electricity.
Traveling from point to point within the city will be extremely
difficult, and 255,000 people will be displaced from their homes.
We are all in this together.
We will suffer the consequences if we don’t do our part right now.
How quickly life gets back to normal after this
disaster is up to you and those around you.
Your level of personal preparedness will determine your quality of life after the quake.
It’s a good idea to have a fire extinguisher,
a first aid kit
and enough water for each person in your household to have at least one gallon of water a day
for three days.
Have an emergency plan.
Decide now where you will meet your family after an earthquake.
Make sure there’s a person out of town you can contact
to let your loved ones know that you’re okay.
Homeowners should be sure to bolt their house to its foundation.
Consider whether earthquake insurance makes sense
for you as part of your financial plan.
Even if you’re not a homeowner, you can secure your
personal possessions against earthquake damage.
Preparedness is not only for the home, but also for business.
Be sure that your company has emergency plans for a major earthquake.
Empower yourself and your family.
Be prepared.