Japan's Sad Disaster Reminds Us: Is the Hillwood Community Ready for a Quake?

This morning an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan. It caused fires, whirlpools and tsunamis. You can watch a video on the left hand side of this page: New York Times.

When the next big earthquake hits in San Francisco, here are some ways you can keep safe.

• Doorways are safe, but it wold be better to get under a table or bed and hold on to bed or table leg with one hand and cover your head/neck with the other.
• To prepare you should always have a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, flashlights, water and purification tablets and canned food. 
• Stay indoors if you are in there and duck and cover. 
• Do not go near fireplaces, windows and do not go into the kitchen. 
• If you're outside get away from buildings and power lines. 
• After earthquakes wear sturdy shoes. 
• Check for injuries and fire hazards, spills, objects that fell and food and water supplies. 
• Before the next earthquake happens, decide where to meet after a natural disaster. 
• Also, if you have pets have a list of friends and family you can send your animal to after a disaster, as they are not allowed in shelters.

This is a archived news clipping from the 1906 quake.

You can learn more about earthquake saftey from Prepare.org, and Earthquake.usgs.org.

The Earthquake in Japan — and How to Prepare for a Bay Area Quake

Give Herald readers an update about the earthquake in Japan, and use this an introduction to tell readers about how they can prepare for an earthquake. Use the following as sources:

• The New York Times
• US Geological Survey: Science for a Changing World (glance over the site's FAQ, or "frequently asked questions," and read this page on earthquake preparedness)
• Red Cross Earthquake preparedness
• An archived news article about San Francisco's 1906 earthquake (from The Times)