Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory.
–Miguel de Cervantes
The Big One could come from any direction. Big earthquake. Big storm. Big fire, big flood or, as we were reminded so suddenly and so tragically last March, big landslide. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to know when the Big One will happen. But it’s a reasonably sure bet that it will, one of these days, and when it does, it will pay to be prepared.
That’s the thinking behind Washington State Disaster Preparedness Month, also known as October. Be aware. Think ahead. Be prepared. To that end, a number of government offices and nonprofits are offering tips this month on how families and businesses can plan now to come out the other side in one piece. For instance:
- Are You Ready? from the folks at FEMA
- Preparing Your Home from the Emergency Management Division of our own Washington Military Department, which also features the
- Emergency Preparedness Guide Booklet and special tips on
Here in Washington, of course, a likely suspect for the Big One is an earthquake, which is where the Great Washington Shakeout comes in. Thursday, October 16, at 10:16 a.m., nearly a million Washingtonians have pledged to stop what they’re doing and practice their earthquake-survival techniques. If that sounds like fun, circle the date and get ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
And here’s an idea: Once you’ve mastered those skills, why not reward yourself with a tasty Washington-grown apple? This happens to be National Apple Month, too.