It wasn’t the big one, but it certainly was a frightening one! Yesterday’s earthquake rocked Southern California! I was visiting my mom at her home in Diamond Bar, one city away from Chino Hills, when it hit. My mom, daughter and I huddled under the doorway as the ground shook and pictures came flying off the walls. Once the quake stopped, we went outside on the front lawn. Neighbors were checking on each other as car alarms blared in the distance. Within moments we heard police and fire sirens. It was very scary. We couldn’t get anywhere on the phone. Land lines and cell phones were unable to get signals and connect us to family members. My niece was home alone in Chino Hills and her family was spread out in nearby cities.
My son who lives in a dorm in Northern California was able to call through. I asked him to call his sister, also in Northern California, and they were able to call family members in Southern California and tell them we were ok and where to meet.
It is so important to have an emergency contact outside of your state to make these calls for you. We were so lucky my kids could make these calls for us. They are within the same state, but apparently far enough away to be able to get through.
Now a big KUDOS to my husband!
Last December our neighborhood lost power. We were in the middle of putting up the Christmas tree and there were glass ornaments all over the floor! My husband made his way to the hall closet where the flashlight was SUPPOSED to be, but it wasn’t there. He went to the next place, under the sink, no flashlight. The flashlight with the magnet holder on the fridge! Nope! Upstairs, next to our bed…nope, not happening!
My daughter said she had one.
“Well, give it to me!” he screamed.
He was so mad that every flashlight he put away safely for emergencies, was gone. I wasn’t going to volunteer that the kids often played with them or took them for slumber parties! He was livid! Mental note, tell him after a few glasses of wine and a great meal!
My daughter went to her room and somehow in the dark, found a little pink camping lamp which was no bigger than the palm of her dad’s hand. His finger was too big to flip on the small butterfly switch. We watched Daddy, a 6 foot tall man, former marine, walking through the house with a pink and purple flowered lamp, cussing at the situation.
“I took the time to put #!?& flashlights in the *!?%$# places where we could find them and I can’t find a !!&%?! one!!!!”, he yelled out!
With Christmas being a few weeks away, he made up his mind right then and there, for Christmas he was going to make us and our family members emergency, portable, disaster kits.
He bought large red duffel bags and filled them with emergency supplies. He also included red binders with forms for families to fill out insurance information and slip in photos or computer discs.
After the quake hit, we didn’t know how bad the damage was. If it was the big one, we would have to leave my mom’s house and drive to a safer meeting place. I grabbed her emergency kit and a case of water and put it in the trunk. Other than that, we needed her insulin and some juice and we were set. I couldn’t imagine trying to find all the things we needed if we had to find them.
This year for Christmas, we are going to make individual emergency backpacks for family, friends, and teachers.
Stay safe! Be prepared!