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Saturday was a fine day to get out and enjoy the nice weather and the beautiful Presidio, and to learn about what life was like in the refugee camps after the earthquake and fire. It was a really cool event that had a lot to teach. I'm not sure if I could handle living in those tents.
Enjoy the pictures.
There was also an Army marching band on hand. Click on the image below to catch the band in action.
You have gallons of water to drown your kidneys, cases of tuna fish to feed every stray cat in the block, and enough Band-Aids to rival a trauma center’s stash. But is your wallet ready to cover losses after the Big One hits? Maybe it’s easier to buy a ready-to-use first aid kit than to recharge the digital camera’s battery to create an inventory of one’s valuables. Or that it’s less painful to pull $14.99 out of one’s wallet to buy a flashlight than to shell out $$$ for an insurance policy. But for whatever reason, getting ready financially seems to be a low priority in disaster preparedness.
Perhaps you're expecting Uncle Sam to save you from financial doom. Bad news: he's not a member of the Justice League 
. FEMA individual assistance is capped at $26,200 . Try rebuilding your Bay Area cottage with that!
There are things you can do to be financially prepared for a disaster. Like do an inventory of your valuables. Use a digital camera or camcorder to take pictures of your property instantly. Burn the images to a CD or move them to a flash drive . Besides being able to fit a gazillion bytes, a flash drive can be attached to a keychain or worn as a fashion accessory . There are other things you can add to your flash drive: copies of your financial information and insurance policies. No flash drive? Store important info in your MP3 player . Many of these devices can actually hold non-audio data.
Technology is a great tool for financial readiness. If you don’t know how to create an inventory of your property, there’s software to help you get started. KnowYourStuff.org, a sister site of the Insurance Information Institute , offers free home inventory software that you can download.
The American Red Cross has practical guidelines on financial preparedness . Check out Bankrate.com’s financial disaster preparedness kit , too. If you own your business, here’s a useful feature on Allbusiness.com entitled Special Report: Preparing for Disaster , with articles such as Plan for the Worst for Your Home-Based Business and Protect Your Business Assets from Disaster .
And then there’s the matter of insurance. Not quite sure about the ins-and-outs of insurance policies? Read this neat article from Smartaboutmoney.com (not to be confused with Smart Money magazine, Smartaboutmoney.org is a project of the National Endowment for Financial Education ). It takes away the mystery behind all the fine print, and shows how to choose the right insurance coverage, how to understand an insurance policy, and what one needs to know about filing a claim.
Oh, one last thing, always have cash on hand. And I mean CASH. With or without a disaster, a $20 bill won't take you very far nowadays.
Sure, it’s fun to check out cool emergency gizmos than to spend a weekend dealing with checklists and documents. But look at it this way: with water, canned tuna, Band-Aids AND your finances all lined up, you won’t have to wait for a superhero to save you from the Big One.
and provide some concrete advice for preparedness today. The Loma Prieta quake resonates personally with many Bay area residents. It is one of those “where were you when…” questions, like when John F. Kennedy Jr. was shot, or when the World Trade Center Towers were bombed. I was not living in the Bay area at the time, so I found it really interesting to hear our Museum visitors talk about their personal experiences, and recall vividly how the quake affected them.
up until just this January, I have learned a lot during this pilot project. There are a lot of people that helped make this podcast happen, and they each deserve some recognition. In prepping for this project, I researched what was out there in podcast-land and found some really great podcasts. So now when I pick up my little i-pod mini, I have a full selection of podcasts for my listening pleasure. Some are about Museums and history, and some are just purely for fun. I hope this podcast series has been both interesting and entertaining for listeners. If you have any comments now that the series has wrapped up, please send them on!
, who was on hand at last weeks 1906 Earthquake Anniversary Conference to demonstrate their fire-resistant coatings.
According to the manufacturer: "FF88® is a unique fire resistant coating proven to withstand extreme temperatures (more than 2000°F) and resist fires for over 2 hours. FF88 is the first intumescent coating to provide fire retardance and fire resistance to a wide variety of materials such as sheetrock, wood, concrete, sheet metal, foam, composite panels, fiberglass and carbon graphite. Firefree 88 is applied as a paint, is waterbased, non-toxic and has been fully tested and approved for a wide variety of construction and transportation assemblies."
which shows a time-lapse.
I was Skype -chatting about the quake with my friend Norma , a wheelchair-bound disabled rights activist, when I asked, "How would YOU prepare for a disaster?" She gave me—Miz Insensitivity—one big DOH!
So, after enduring her scorn, I looked up FEMA’s Planning Guide for People with Special Needs . The guide lists the primary preparedness needs of the disabled—it’s a “first-steps” resource. But wait, there's more!
The American Red Cross offers two brochures: one for seniors —written by seniors who’ve survived a disaster—and one for the disabled . The senior guide is available in other languages . Preparenow.org’s guide is similar to the Red Cross’, but adds a section on earthquakes.
The Red Cross of Rochester, New York has a manual on emergency preparedness for the hearing impaired . Likewise, the American Council of the Blind's web site offers a handbook targeted at the blind, the visually impaired, and first responders . The site also has an emergency preparedness page for service animal owners . Another great resource is the Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco’s site, which features no-frills preparedness tip sheets for those with specific disabilities such as the wheelchair-bound and the mentally disabled. However, the site has display issues on the Firefox browser.
Availability of medication is always critical to people with special needs. The American Society of Health-System Professionals (ASHSP) has created a consumer bulletin that addresses medication issues during a disaster. The Food and Drug Administration created a page aimed at diabetics , which is a good complement to the ASHSP’s consumer bulletin.
There are resources for caregivers, too. If you’re caring for an Alzheimer’s patient, you may want to register him or her with the Alzheimer Association’s SafeReturn® program , an identification service that provides assistance when a person with Alzheimer's or a related dementia becomes lost locally or far from home. The Department of Health and Human Services has an excellent preparedness page for caregivers and first responders . I wish, though, that the default font on the page were larger.
The National Next of Kin Registry , which provides a free emergency contact resource to individuals and to emergency agencies, is another service you might want to consider for the mentally disabled. Also, see if a local government agency in your area runs a voluntary registry for evacuating special-needs persons in case of disaster.
For emergency preparedness and response articles for the disabled in the workplace , go to Gallaudet University’s web site. The site also has articles for employers and emergency managers. Managers may also want to read the Department of Labor’s rules of emergency preparedness planning for people with disabilities .
I’m glad I had that conversation with Norma. She put up with my "foot-in-mouth disease," and made me realize that preparing for a disaster was not just for four-limb-abled people like me.
. Yes, San Francisco is just wacky enough to have a museum dedicated to cartoons, and we love it!
The show runs April 15 - June 25, 2006. Here are some details from Andrew Farago, Cartoon Art Museum Gallery Manager:
Earthquakes can be scary stuff, so how do you teach kids about them without sending them to therapy?
How about a game called Earthquake Joe from Seattle's Project Impact ? Try to find a safe place in the room for Joe as a quake happens. It’s fun for all ages. Have to admit I got Joe pretty bruised up on this one. :( There are other games on the site’s Interactive section, but they are more appropriate for grownups.
The Association for Bay Area Governments (ABAG) web site has a Kids Zone . Its content is more appropriate for junior high, even if the site's design looks like it’s for younger kids. Information in various levels of complexity is thrown in all at once on the site’s main page, though. It needs to be broken down according to the age/schooling level of its audience.
National Geographic Kids has a cool quake site . It contains easy-to-understand information on preparedness. It also features a video showing scenes of quake damage, with a rather serious soundtrack. Might scare young kids who are more accustomed to listening to Baby Beluga .
FEMA for Kids is a pretty colorful site that covers everything disaster-related for kids. My favorite section, Tasty Quake , shows a gelatin recipe that doubles as a learning activity on ground movement. (Hmm, maybe I’ll make a grownup version of Tasty Quake. Add a little vodka, shake, don't stir.)
Speaking of stuff to do for the older set, here’s an easy one from the Exploratorium's Faultline called Cookie Subduction . An Oreo is all you’ll need. The site has other excellent activities that use the most commonplace things to explain earthquakes. Like Slinkies .
PBS also features an excellent companion site to its series called The Savage Earth . The earthquake section contains animations that demonstrate slip faults and seismic waves.
My hands-down favorite is the US Geological Service’s Earthquake for Kids . Most of the sites in this post feature a section for teachers, but USGS’ version kicks it up a notch—it's rich in online references which are searchable by topic and schooling level. One feature that really stands out is Earthquake ABC . Based on a grade school project, Earthquake ABC is a quake glossary enhanced with children’s drawings. It also comes with a separate teacher guide and parent guide.
(This is the second installment of the childhood account of "guest blogger" J.J. Conlon. In 1982, J.J. Conlon, whose career at Wells Fargo spanned 46 1/2 years, wrote his recollection of the 1906 earthquake. He seven years old when the disaster occurred.)
Mother, immediately informed of the seriousness of the situation, left Stockton on Wednesday morning for home with my sisters. She was told on reaching Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco that she could not continue. As she turned her back on the city of her birth to return to Stockton, the large pillars of smoke in the western sky multiplied the fears she was already harboring for the safety of her family and relatives. Later, on Saturday, she successfully returned home.
I was very much on my own during daylight hours after Father left for downtown. The first activity was to examine the damage to a building in the Children’s Playground in Golden Gate Park. My playmates and I were just leaving this partially-collapsed building about 8 a.m. when another sharp earthquake occurred and we witnessed a further collapse of the structure. Later, with older boys, I got as far downtown as Van Ness and Market, where a policemen, after questioning me, told me to return to my home district and stay there.
One-half mile east of our Shrader Street residence is hilly Buena Vista Park. The eastern slope had an unobstructed view of the 1906 city and it was from this vantage point that I watched the city burn for the next three days…
We were able to accommodate our refugees because of our large basement which was immediately partitioned by the men. Fires were not permitted in houses until chimneys could be inspected and approved, requiring waits up to nine months. Our men, like many San Franciscans, built an elaborate range from salvaged bricks and sheet iron on our front sidewalk and covered it with a lean-to roof. I have seen few modern barbecue pits that surpassed our sidewalk kitchen. Here the women cooked the food that was served in three sittings in our large, glass enclosed porch on the back of the house…
Mother was still a young wife, proud of her well managed household, with its new furniture and linens, etc. She philosophically accepted the wear and tear on her furnishings; personal relations were another matter. You can be sure there was the childless wife giving unsolicited and unappreciated advice to the harassed young mothers. The forced mingling of these relatives under trying conditions resulted in lasting friendships and/or relationships thereafter on a formal and distant basis. Regardless, a young boy enjoys company, old and young, and I was never happier.
Everyone, like our family, offered shelter to relatives and friends. Many were housed in tents and temporary buildings in parks and squares, Golden Gate Park accommodations being particularly impressive. The latter was like a summer resort and I enjoyed walking through the camp areas at night to watch the activities of the refugees around the bonfires. Another source of entertainment for the youngsters of our neighborhood was a periodic parade on Haight Street of a National Guard outfit, mobilized for police guard duty.
Mother provided a box lunch for Father and me about ten days after the fire was controlled and in a hired buggy, we made a day long tour of the burnt area of the city. I have many memories of that ride but one stands out. To save the California and Hyde Street cable cars , the employees parked them on the California Street tracks from Franklin to Hyde Streets. After the fire swept over them, only the wheel trucks remained with hand brakes and cable grips standing vertical.
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On the opening day of the 1906 Earthquake Conference, I attended a tutorial entitled Earthquake Safety of Houses and Apartments: What Owners and Renters Need to Know. It was conducted by Andy Thompson of Arup , a global structural design and engineering firm. The tutorial was attended by structural engineers, building inspectors, geologists and safety inspectors.
The tutorial was a great lesson in what to look out for when buying or renting a home. Thompson presented 8 bullet points, which he called Eight Steps to Peace of Mind:
• Determine property location with regard to known active faults .
• Determine soil conditions. It helps to locate the property in water table and liquefaction maps .
• Determine landslide potential. The discussion was very timely in light of the recent landslides that have hit the Bay Area. It pays to locate the property on landslide maps . (Click image on upper left to view movie)
• Assess risk due to human-made hazards. See if the property is near dams, taller buildings and water tanks.
• Evaluate characteristics and detailing of your building
• Examine home for hazards.
• Determine whether you need insurance .
• Follow the proper precautions before, during and after an earthquake .
Thompson points out that with today’s engineering breakthroughs, you can build anything anywhere if you’re willing to pay for it. But since we like to build where we shouldn’t, and most often are unwilling to pay the price, it’s great to have these guidelines in mind.
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Yesterday, I attended a tutorial at the 1906 Earthquake Conference entitled "Emergency Response for Neighborhoods." The presentation was conducted by Douglas Hong of the Berkeley Office of Emergency Services (OES). It was designed as a training session for folks who wish to organize their neighbors or communities for emergency preparedness.
The tutorial used the "train the trainer " approach. The method is not new to me, having used the same technique when I worked in AIDS/HIV prevention. Basically, what it calls for is to train a trusted member of a community to educate that particular community rather than have an outsider do it. It’s all about identifying who’s got creds, really, and the method works!
A few things stood out at the tutorial. I was impressed by how the information on preparedness was broken down not into 7, 10, or 15 steps, but into 5 easy-to-remember ones . As the Mr. Hong pointed out, it’s not easy to remember 10 steps in the middle of a panic. Another thing was how new technology figures into preparedness. For example, one recommendation was to include a flash drive in a preparedness kit. The flash drive should store pictures of pets and valuables, scans of important documents such as insurance papers and policy numbers, and financial records. Programming important contact numbers on one’s cell phone was also recommended. Did you know that each city has its own emergency phone number, apart from the oft-dialed 911? Find out what the number is for yours and program that into your mobile. (Berkeley’s is 510-981-5911; here’s great link that tells you why this number is preferred .)
Also, one difference is that Berkeley recommends that one prepare for 5-7 days of emergency supplies instead of 72 hours. The city based this on the number of days it took for critical services to be delivered to Katrina victims. Makes total sense to me.
Douglas Hong was also kind enough to refer the audience to downloadable handouts on the Berkeley OES web site. He told the audience that they were free to use and customize these documents for their own communities’ needs. Now THAT’s being a good neighbor!
(Once again, we would like to welcome guest blogger Chris Poland, President, Degenkolb Engineers . His 30 years of professional experience include projects of all construction types—including new design, seismic retrofit and rehabilitation, and historic preservation. Chris routinely develops federal documents and national standards related to earthquake engineering. )
While many areas of California are better prepared than ever before, we are not yet ready for the next great earthquake. In fact, most experts in earth science, engineering, and emergency response have concluded that when a 1906-size earthquake happens again:
• Buildings and infrastructure built before the 1970s that have not been strengthened may suffer major damage or complete collapse. This will cause thousands of deaths and extreme economic hardship, and leave hundreds of thousands of residents homeless.
• Many businesses will be brought to a halt for weeks, some for months. The economic impact will be more than $100 billion. The economic effects will be felt worldwide, and it will take years to fully restore the epicenter’s business activities.
• Many families, businesses, and institutions with response and recovery plans in place will act safely; many others do not have adequate plans in place and will suffer.
Scientists led by the U.S. Geological Survey recently created QuakeMotion , an animated visualization of how the earth moved in 1906. Combining that new data with updated information on the Bay Area’s buildings and infrastructure, a team of experts has developed the most comprehensive analysis yet of the deaths and damages we will sustain in a 1906-size quake. This report, released on April 17, will help guide policy-makers as they consider steps toward preparedness, mitigation initiatives, and resources for recovery.
I – who watched the ceremony from home on the TV – asked Museum visitors at our Open House later in the day what brought them to see the exhibit, and what was in their thoughts. Some visitors felt like they were truly a part of history, others saw it as just another day…and one young visitor was occupied foremost with the Make-A-Quake.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Dolissa Medina, an experimental filmmaker yesterday. I heard more about the world premiere screening of her new film that illuminates the events and ambience of the 1906 fire after the earthquake. Dolissa has been working on her film for about 4 years. She wanted to focus specifically on the ensuing fire, than the earthquake aspect, both caused incredible damage in San Francisco circa 1906. Her film will be screened outdoors at 8pm or sundown on Friday, April 21 st at 19 th and Folsom Streets. Site specific to her subject matter, the piece will be projected onto the SFFD Firefighter Training Tower at this location in the Mission District.
Dolissa has always been fascinated by San Francisco’s historical relationship to fire. 
She informed me that San Francisco had burned down 6 times before the 1906 fire. Appropriately, the mythological creature, the Phoenix is the official symbol for San Francisco and decorates the badges of the San Francisco fire and police departments. She approached the San Francisco Fire Department with the proposal and garnered their support for her film, which has fiscal sponsorship from Intersection for the Arts.
Throughout her ten interviews with San Francisco firefighters, Dolissa focused on their perspective on the historical legacy of fires in the city. The 30-45 minute film is more experimental storytelling than traditional documentary. There are no “talking head” shots accompanying the interviews. Instead she has created six vignettes that combine oral history, journalism, folklore and mythology genres that integrate with the poetic and impressionistic visuals of the burn zones.
There will be limited seating at the free screening on Friday, April 21 st. There will be approximately 100 seats and people are encouraged to bring blankets and warm clothing. Public transportation or taxi is strongly advised as street parking will be limited.
Suggested lines; MUNI 14, 49, 12, 26, 27 or 16 th Street BART. If you miss this screening, “Cartography of Ashes” will also be screening at the San Francisco Public Library, Koret Auditorium on Sat., April 22 nd at 4:30pm and Monday, April 24 th at 12:45pm at the San Francisco International Film Festival. It will be a free afternoon screening, but interested parties will still need to pick up hard tickets at the box office at the Kabuki where the screening will be held. For more information and updates on these events, check Dolissa’s site at www.ashes06.org
It was my pleasure to interview author and retired librarian Milly Lee for this podcast episode. I first found out about her book, Earthquake, at the organized by the
To learn more about the exhibit she references at the Chinese Historical Society of America, where her family alter which survived the earthquake is on display, visit their web site .
includes a exhibition of products and services related to seismology and preparedness. Most of the products I saw there fill a very narrow niche--if you need Friction Pendulum Seismic Isolation Bearings , it's the place for you!
The "Heater Meals " booth stood out in stark contrast to those around it. It reminded me of an Andy Warhol pop-art display of household products; colorful and with packaging full of promise ("SEASON TO YOUR TASTE!").
) for the US Armed Forces. When the packet of salt water is poured onto the heating packet, heat and steam fill the box and heat the meal. I took this quick video(MOV). You'll see Dave prepare the meal, and look in the lower right corner where meals he prepared just minutes before were already cooking. The meals retail for about $6.
when he came to the Wells Fargo History Museum for a book signing event in March 2002. It was Wells Fargo’s 150th anniversary and his book Stagecoach had just come out. Fradkin had worked with members of the Historical Services department on the research, so he was well acquainted with everyone.
, and if you want to see the website he references in the interview, check out the Bancroft Library site . This presentation of the Bancroft Library brings together some of the various resources throughout the state of California; it’s one-stop history shopping.
(The need for 24/7 preparedness in all sectors of society cannot be overemphasized in a disaster-prone zone like the Bay Area. Our guest blogger, Bruce Burtch, Director of Marketing & Communications for the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter gives us an overview of the latest Red Cross program to address this issue.)
According to a recent American Red Cross Bay Area household preparedness survey, only 6% of residents in six Bay Area counties say they are prepared for a disaster. That’s why the American Red Cross Bay Area is calling on business, faith, non-profit, government and school to partner with them in the most comprehensive preparedness program ever launched in the Bay Area.
These partnerships will ensure that thousands of community preparedness trainings are available throughout the Bay Area. The campaign specifically focuses upon those most at risk in a disaster including: children, elderly, persons with disabilities, the homeless, people for whom English is a second language and low-income communities.
PrepareBayArea.org , an interactive preparedness community, will help ensure that individuals, businesses, schools and community organizations can easily access how-to tips for making a plan and building a kit and locations for community preparedness trainings. Those without web access can obtain information by calling 1-877-PREPBAY.
Mayors Gavin Newsom of San Francisco and Jerry Brown of Oakland have both promised their support. “People have to know that the government is not going to be there in the first 24 hours, maybe the first 48 hours,” said Brown. “It’s the people themselves that have to be responsible. So this is very, very important, that the Red Cross and all the other groups here, PG&E and the others, are spearheading this three-point plan of make a plan, build a kit and get trained.”
Yesterday, the US Geological Survey released three new types of maps of the Bay Area , each one designed to provide a new look at the geologic history and hazards of the region.
The first type, a geologic map, shows different geological materials visible at the earth's surface, and how these materials—such as fossils—are distributed across the Bay Area. Pretty cool. Think of it as viewing the earth's crust through a time machine. Using this map, I found out that the area where I live is home to mammal-age fossils .
The second type is the quaternary-active fault map (quaternary faults are faults that have slipped during the last 1.8 million years). Scientists believe that these faults are going to be the most likely source of major quakes. This map shows I live close to one in El Cerrito.
The last type, which I think will capture the imagination of Bay Area residents the most, is the liquefaction map. Remember those movie scenes where the bad guy drowns in quicksand ? Your house is most likely to play that villain if you live in a liquefaction-susceptible area. I checked my 'hood on the map and whew! I'm in a low risk zone.
The site also includes downloadable versions of the maps, and overlays if you wish to view the maps on Google Earth .
While scouring the web for a video on home earthquake retrofitting, I stumbled upon this interactive quake preparedness quiz .
I took the test and I'm proud to announce that, after two months of reading up on earthquake preparedness, I scored 100 percent. :):):) On the other hand, I tried this earthquake reaction test and, uh, didn't do so well. :(:(:(
Now, let's see how well you do.
The Romans may have their Fontana di Trevi , Londoners their Trafalgar Square , and Madrileños their Fuente de Cibeles . For us in the Bay Area, we have Lotta’s fountain. It’s not much of a sight to behold—it is made of cast iron, yet has a weird patina that seems to get polished only around April of every year. The lions’ mouths don’t spout water. On an ordinary day its basin might even hold discarded newspapers, cigarette stubs and chewed up gum. In the past, it unofficially turned into an "outdoor restroom."
The fountain’s history is quite interesting. It was a gift to the city from Lotta Crabtree , a famous entertainer during San Francisco’s Gold Rush years (Lotta was a protégé of the equally famous Lola Montez ). Lotta, who was the highest paid stage performer during her prime, retired at the age of 45. By then she had acquired a bit of a fortune, and many institutions benefitted from her largesse . Lotta's fountain was dedicated on Admission Day, September 9, 1875. It is the city’s oldest surviving monument.
There had been many attempts to move (and remove) the fountain in the past. Wells Fargo historian Marianne Babal referred me to an article from the San Francisco Chronicle dated June 10, 1974. The article describes the statue’s refurbishment and move to a few feet from the original location, partly because the fountain had been hit and damaged by swerving vehicles in its original location. There was also an attempt to restore water to its fountains at this time. Another article from the Chronicle dated December 2, 1998 , talks about another major restoration effort on the fountain.
Lotta's fountain has also grown taller over the years. Originally 24 feet high, it was given an eight-foot extension in 1916 to conform to the height of the new street lights on Market Street.
Lotta’s fountain has its place in the history of this city. During the quake, it served as THE communications center for people who needed to find missing loved ones. While it may not scream DRAMA the way its foreign counterparts do (its look has been panned by expert critics and ordinary citizens alike), it served the residents of San Francisco like no other monument has.
Yesterday, John Poyser and I grabbed an early breakfast before resuming coverage of the SF Rising Parade. We went to Sears Fine Foods