Did you Feel the Mountains Rumble?

Did you Feel the Mountains Rumble?

Everyone was fast asleep in bed. I woke up to feel the house shaking. "Earthquake!" I mumbled to myself. I stayed in bed. It stopped after a few seconds. Then I went back to sleep. LOL!

When I woke up at my usual time, I actually was not sure if the earthquake was real or if I was just dreaming. I asked DH if he felt it. "What earthquake?" was his answer. No one else in the house felt it either!

News from the internet confirmed that I was not dreaming. It was for real! The quake measured 4.4 and centered about 10 miles east of downtown LA. There isn't any reported damage or injuries caused by the quake.

These jolts remind us that we are in earthquake land. We've been told time and again to be ready and have a disaster plan in place. They say that we're bound to have a big one hit in the near future. The thing is, no one can really predict exactly when this "big" one will come. The only thing we can do is be ready and pray.

Here are some suggestions to get yourself ready if a disaster strikes:

• Have a stockpile of water, food not only at home, but also a small amount in your cars along with a change of clothes and walking or hiking shoes in your cars.
  
• Make sure you have a good flashlight in your car, and a good flashlight TAPED to the side of your bed. In case of a night quake, you will not be able to safely go and "find" a flashlight in the dark and possible rubble. Remember no candles or matches until you are sure there are no gas leaks in your home, or the area.
• Have your "out of state" phone contact number on your cell, and all of your kids know it as well. In a large quake, local phones may not work for days, but calls out of the state will work faster. Have this person coordinate where you and your family are, and if a meeting place is needed, to set that up.
• For a comprehensive preparedness kit list, look here.