I Have Rocks in My Head

I’m weary of writing. I did my piece on earthquakes, then had to cut a third of it out to meet my word limitation. There’s a great deal of interesting stuff about earthquakes out there, and I enjoyed learning all I could, but I have too much plate tectonics in my head to think.

So here’s a little haiku for your pleasure:

Earth rattle and roll
tremors and ruptures galore
it is not my fault
~~~~~

(Hours later...) Now that I’ve had some sleep, I want to offer a word of warning.
Like Chile in South America, the West Coast of the North American continent sits on the “Ring of Fire,” shaped like an upside-down horseshoe around the Pacific Ocean. Eighty percent of the world’s monster earthquakes happen here.
The last time the West was shaken by a catastrophic earthquake of magnitude 8 or 9 was more than 300 years ago, when an estimated 9.0 struck somewhere between northern California and British Columbia. Elsewhere on the Ring of Fire, giants happen with some regularity: 15 times in the past 100 years.
They appear to happen in clusters, with a 50-year cycle. In the last cycle, from 1950 and 1965, seven great quakes between 8.5 and 9.5 hit the Rim of Fire.
The recent cycle of Big Ones began in 2004, with three in Indonesia and one in Chile. Seismologists say the entire West Coast region may be overdue.

For my friends who live in the area, do a couple of simple things. Keep shoes, flashlight, and some kind of clothing beside your bed. Keep a stash of ready cash (ATMs won’t work). Put canned food, medical supplies, flashlights, battery-powered radio, water, and other necessities in a waterproof bin where you can get to it quickly. Keep a kit and sturdy shoes in your car.
At home and work, check out the safe places, under sturdy furniture, a clear hallway or against an interior wall, and the danger zones, windows, tall furniture, kitchen cabinets and large hanging objects. If an earthquake hits: DROP to the floor in the safest place, COVER your head, and HOLD ON.
Check out more earthquake preparedness info at here or here.

My hubby and I have done these things since going through a major quake in 1994. I don’t live in fear, but I live in earthquake country and precautions are wise.