Today marks 20 years since the famous Mw 6.7 Northridge earthquake. In the early morning hours the earthquake hit the San Fernando Valley region of California and caused massive destruction. In the 20 seconds of shaking there were around 60 deaths and over 8,700 injuries.
While the magnitude is strong, it really isn't that impressive. What is impressive about this event is the accelerations and velocities involved. The ground acceleration was up to 1.8g (~54 feet/second^2) and the peak ground velocity was the highest ever recorded at just over 6 feet/second (1.83m/s)!
Without going into all the details of the earthquake that are easily available, I would rather provide a news clip of the evening after the event and ask a question. If you live in an earthquake prone region, do you have a disaster plan?
As you can see in the video, when gas mains are snapped and fires start there are only minutes to evacuate. Take some time and put together a survival bag as well as talk to your family (especially children) about what to do during a disaster. Even if you don't live in an area with significant earthquake hazard this is important to do with the upcoming severe weather season. Some helpful links are provided at the bottom!
http://youtu.be/8Xg_mhA4ffA
Links
American Red Cross Survival Kit
Ready.gov Survival Kit
CDC Earthquake Health Information
FEMA Ready.gov Earthquake Information
Earthquake Safety at Work