Shook-Up San Franciscans Prepare to Crack Open Earthquake Kits By Adam Satariano and Marc Perrier
Nov. 1 (Bloomberg) -- San Franciscans shaken by the earthquake two days ago are even more unnerved by seismologists' warning that they should be ready for a bigger temblor soon.
``I'm leaving town this Friday, and that makes me happy,'' said resident Michelle Clemensen, who works for a hedge fund. ``I'm not prepared in any way for an earthquake.''
The 5.6-magnitude earthquake that rattled the Bay Area significantly increased the likelihood of another damaging seismic shift in the next few days, a panel of scientists said yesterday. The quake broke windows and tossed items from shelves in San Jose but didn't cause major damage. It was centered near the junction of the Calaveras and Hayward faults, making them more prone to shift soon.
The Hayward fault, which runs under heavily populated Richmond, Oakland and Berkeley, is due. The fault has shifted about every 140 years, seismologists said. Its last big quake, 139 years ago, was estimated at magnitude 7, leveled buildings and killed 30 people.
``We're pretty sure it's ready: It could be tomorrow or it could be in 10 years,'' said Roland Burgmann, geophysics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. ``The Hayward fault is considered to be the biggest risk in the area.''
Even seasoned earthquake survivors were startled by the bluntness of the warning from the California Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council, a panel of scientists that advises Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Office of Emergency Services.
``This is very scary,'' said Marylou Luckhurst, a suburban resident who works in the city and had a close call in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake. ``I hope I can get home. I have two dogs, and they would be terrified.''
Apocalypse Box
Some people in the Bay Area are prepared for a disaster in their high-risk zone. Seamus Giffen, who works in San Francisco's financial district and lives in the northern suburb of San Rafael, has an earthquake- preparedness kit he calls his apocalypse box. It holds canned food, water, flashlights, a radio and extra clothes.
``It was Katrina that gave me the idea of a disaster where somebody wouldn't be able to bail me out,'' Giffen said. ``It made me want to be a little more self-reliant.''
The next event could be worse than the 6.9 Loma Prieta, 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of San Francisco, which killed dozens of people and severely damaged structures around the Bay Area, scientists said.
``You would have buildings literally torn in half, roads and freeways that would be offset, railways that cross the fault would likely be damaged and impassable,'' said Steve Walter, a seismologist for the U.S. Geological Survey.
