Here in Washington we may not have tornados, hurricanes, or monsoons, but we have our own set of calamities. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tsunamis, huge fires, severe storms, dam failures, and landslides are of the most likely to occur in this area. When these disasters strike it is important to be prepared for damage that may occur. Not that people should be constantly worrying about what might happen to them and their families, but taking the time to prepare for a disaster can help families stay safe and calm during an emergency. It is a good idea to sit down with your family and discuss a family emergency plan each year, that way it will be still fresh in your minds in case quick action is required. Experts say each household should be prepared to support each other for up to three days. This means three days of food, water, shelter, clothing, bedding, animal care, first aid supplies, medications, all supplies needed for elderly or disabled, essentially everyth!
             ing. Since we cannot prevent these disasters from happening we only can prepare for them.
             An earthquake registering 6.8 on the Richter Scale hit The South Sound area unexpectedly on February 28, 2001 at 10:54 a.m. This earth quake was the strongest in this area since 1949. The center was northwest of Olympia damaging many older structures and buildings including a crack in the State Capitol, and several parts of Pioneer Square in Seattle. The quake was felt from Vancouver to Salt Lake City. The earthquake was very deep set which explains why more damage wasn't caused. Although there was an estimated $1 billion in damage to buildings and roads, the forty second quake didn't do the damage a 6.8 is capable of. There were approximately 300 injuries in the region and luckily only one death, a woman had a fatal heart attack in Burien and her husband was unable to call for help because the lines were overloaded after the quake. This quake was reminder t...