"Weather Permitting" is an exhibit at the Minnesota Historical Society that includes a “Get to the Basement!” experience. Visitors hear tornado survivors recount their stories. The life-like recreation of a tornado—complete with roaring noise and shaking walls—was recently named the Twin Cities’ Best Museum Exhibit by City Pages.

In an event some call the greatest weather disaster in Twin Cities history, six tornadoes touched down in the vicinity on May 5, 1965. At least 12 tornadoes developed across Minnesota that day, and two tornadoes crossed Fridley.

Here are the basics of tornado preparedness. If you have interest in these storms as phenomena—they are pretty cool—check this out. Shelter technology (and sales!) are here.

Posted by Charles Riggs at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Part Two

Yacolt is a Klickitat word meaning “place abounding in evil spirits” or “haunted valley.” One tale relates that five children, lost while picking berries, were taken by Yacolt, a demonic entity. From September 11 to 13, 1902, a demon was certainly at work in the area. The Yacolt Burn caused profound damage to forest, homes and farms.

A century later, Pacific Northwest fires in 2002 surpassed the summer of 1902 as the worst fire year on record (see pix here). About a million acres in Oregon and Washington burned.

Many Pacific Northwest towns—Battle Ground, Bend, and Chelan—are within a stone’s throw of the forest and potential fires.

If you live near high-fire risk areas, here are a few tips to help protect your home:

• Have a fire-resistant roof and exterior.
• Keep access roads free of vegetation.
• Keep firewood and flammable objects away from your home.
• Prune trees and remove ground fuels.
• Keep your gutters clean.

Posted by Charles Riggs at 09:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The report in Nature discusses the threat to Southern California in particular. About 24 million people live down there, and while they are not all on the fault lines, a big quake would affect freeways, infrastructure, ports and the like. Because the area is so dry, what happens if water systems are compromised? 24 million is a lot of thirsty people.

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, a magnitude 6.7, Southern California rebuilt itself with legendary speed (long version here). It's the model for disaster recovery on a societal scale. But as you'd expect, the basis for this skill is contained in all the warnings about being prepared. The more you do now, the easier it is to recover after the fact. Word up.

Posted by Charles Riggs at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Oral history projects have become an important resource for producing history and for accessing history. The Library of Congress, for instance, has dozens that are dedicated to African Americans, veterans and suffragettes—the list is extensive. Memories of ordinary people are captured in their stories and offer the balance—or the antidote, maybe—to the boring history of books and lectures and the shows that Dad watches.

Collecting oral history began as soon as Edison invented the phonograph. You could say that all CDs and DVDs catch a historical moment that re-occurs when you play it. Anyway, the idea is to preserve the story as it happened to the person it happened to. Recent oral history projects include events of September 11, 2001, and the space race of the 1960s.

Now, oral histories about experiences in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last summer are being put together. One is by the National Policy and Advocacy Council on Homelessness (NPACH) and features people of Houston who rolled up their sleeves to help evacuees from the stricken areas. The Houston Chronicle reports the beginning of another oral history project for people who lived through the devastation, put together by the University of Houston. (Contact the project here.)

The idea is to develop a voice for the thousands of people whose stories have been, for most of us, only pictures on the nightly news. Now, these individual stories can be heard, from the voices of the people who are continually rebuilding their lives.

Posted by Charles Riggs at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Steve Greenwood, our Curator at the Wells Fargo History Exhibit in Portland, Oregon, recounts the major damage caused by a huge wildfire in Washington state a hundred years ago. If you have any first-hand accounts of your experiences with fires in recent years, write 'em here. (CR)

Part One

“The fire surged, hissed, and roared, leaping like an untamed demon dancing,” described one contemporary of Washington State’s largest wildfire—the Yacolt Burn of 1902. On September 11 that year, this destructive wildfire started and decimated the area between the Columbia River and Mount St. Helens, traveling 30 miles in 36 hours. At one point, the fire was 12 miles wide!

Moist, cool air normally flows from the ocean and brings rain to the area, but the wind had reversed direction and brought a hot and dry east wind—known as the Devil Wind. Temperature played a pivotal role also: the thermometer topped off at 97 degrees in Portland that day. The wildfire that followed was so intense that the U.S. Army dispatched troops to protect property, and regional businesses halted shipping along the Columbia River. To the north 180 miles, the Yacolt Burn covered Seattle with cinders a half-inch thick.

This "awful forest conflagration” disabled telegraph lines and destroyed schools, churches, and logging camps.

Autumn rain finally extinguished the flames on September 13. When it ended, the devastating fire had claimed 38 lives, left 146 families homeless, and burned over 238,000 acres.

Posted by Charles Riggs at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Streets are flooding, too. The Houston Chronicle reports a traffic nightmare, a thing bad enough unto itself. But with that, there is the added danger of being trapped in cars as the waters rise. See our posts on the dangers of driving through floods here and here.

Posted by Charles Riggs at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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The threat posed by Tropical Storm Alberto was reduced by the time it reached U.S. shores this week, good news for threatened areas. But as the Climate Prediction Center explains— that is, as I understand all the science-ese!—each storm is just one episode in the whole season. Hurricane seasons develop a character from storm to storm, and weather pattern to weather pattern. It's one long storm that builds and subsides—you get your good days, and you get your bad days.

Stay with me, this is interesting. No, really...

"Total Seasonal Activity" is the sum of the intensity and duration of each storm. Warm water is the energy source for storms, and wind patterns determine how storms build. When ocean water gets warmer, then combines with certain wind patterns, storms develop in greater numbers and intensity. Nine of the last 11 hurricane seasons have been above normal.

Check out some weather graphics here. (The movies are hypnotic. Or I'm becoming a nerd.) As science marches on, we know more things and can study them in very cool ways. One thing is for sure—the climate is going through some very dynamic behavior.

I'm very interested in reading your experiences with these storms over the last few years. Send 'em in here.

Posted by Charles Riggs at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Whatever shrug-o-meter you prefer, the "Quality" was deemed "excellent" by the USGS. As usual with our local quakes, however, most everyone I asked responded with "Hmmm—didn't feel a thing."

A 5:47 a.m. seismic event probably coincides with Stage 4 ("true delta") or Stage 5 (REM) of sleep. You're either in deepest sleep or having those goofy dreams about being chased by a terrier and your knees turn to jelly. It would take a real whopper of a quake to shake you out of that.

So if there are approximately 2,200 earthquakes each year of this magnitude, it stands to reason that some people will feel them. How about you? Do you wake up? Do your dreams take a weird turn and find out it was an earthquake that made you dream about the Cadillac turning into a canoe?

Posted by Charles Riggs at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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That season was "obviously a classic El Niño year," states a USGS report (scroll down to 1913). "There were 180 drownings...Water was waist deep in downtown Bay City... The Colorado River went over the right bank above Columbus and made an island of the town."

Railroads were washed out, including the several on which Wells Fargo & Co. Express carried packages and express shipments. Some trains even stalled en route as flood waters overtook the tracks. In Wells Fargo Messenger, the Company's internal newsmagazine, route Messenger Creighton tells of being stuck on a train near Marlin for a day and a half before rescue. He helped passengers into boats before getting out himself.

Wells Fargo agencies throughout the devastated area volunteered people and equipment to handle supplies and generally assist. Bay City Agent C.L. Aubin opened his home to refugees and his office to the company's horses. After the waters receded, Texas Governor O.B. Colquitt acknowledged Wells Fargo's local efforts. In two florid sentences to Mr. G.A. Taft, Wells Fargo Express superintendent in Houston, the governor wrote:

"I am writing for the purpose of thanking you sincerely on behalf of the State Government and the flood sufferers, for the generosity of your company in offering to transport shipments of bedding, blankets, clothing, groceries and other supplies sent out under the direction of the Governor's Office to flood sufferers at various points on the Brazos and Little Rivers during the past four or five weeks.

"Your prompt and efficient service greatly aided the efficient distribution of assistance furnished through the Governor's Office.

"Yours Truly,

(Signed) O.B Colquitt, Governor"

Posted by Charles Riggs at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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My friend put down his Ibanez Iceman, pulled the book from me and flipped through the pages. "Look at this thing!" he snickered, then intoned, "DON'T READ ME!" as the voice of the book. I looked at it again myself—his point was valid. (The most valid points, after all, are the funny ones.) Even though I found Thucydides a great read when I grew up, it makes me laugh when I encounter grownup stuff that has no entertainment value—"Don't Read Me!"—a 3-inch thick stack of escrow documents, for example.

Or insurance materials.

This blog is all about response to disasters, so I thought I'd take a look at how earthquake insurance works, at least in California. In short, it's a major "Don't Read Me!" thing. Problem is, maybe you need the coverage. Or you need to know, at least, whether or not the extra coverage is for you and your situation. Some basic understanding can be found here and here for California properties.

There are two fundamental things to know before you do your research and when you shop for appropriate coverage. First, coverage is expensive. The same is pretty true for other types of disaster coverage—flood insurance in areas with actual threat, Hurricanes and tornadoes in areas where they occur with any frequency. Second, the coverage you get  might be duplicated: the award from your existing policy, less deductible, might be the same you get from earthquake insurance. You'd end up spending thousands to get back, well, thousands.

Talk to your agent. Once you get through all the junk mail and (800) numbers, and decide on a carrier and policy, the agent is often easy to deal with.

Posted by Charles Riggs at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Just last week, I returned to my hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on the 117th anniversary of the great Johnstown Flood of 1889. The tragedy killed 2,209 people on May 31 that year, about one-tenth of the town's population. That the anniversary of the flood falls around Memorial Day adds poignancy to annual ceremonies marking the disaster. This year, I visited the Johnstown Flood National Memorial and joined a park ranger on a hike across what was once Lake Conemaugh, the recreational lake sited in the hills 14 miles above Johnstown.

In 1889, Lake Conemaugh was owned by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club and frequented by elite captains of industry of Pittsburgh: Carnegie, Mellon, Frick. When torrential rains overtopped the earthen dam on May 31, 1889, the dam (whose integrity had been compromised by actions of club managers and previous owners) collapsed, sending 20 million gallons of water racing toward Johnstown and area towns below. The amount of water that destroyed Johnstown has been estimated as equal in volume to the flow over Niagara Falls for 36 minutes.

The lake bed is now filled with shrubs and trees, and South Fork Creek flows uninhibited through the landscape. Looming overhead are two 70-foot high embankments flanking either side of the valley—all that remains of the failed earthen dam. Each year, 2,209 luminaria are placed near the dam site to remember those who were lost. People gather on Memorial Day at the Plot of the Unknowns in a local cemetery, where 777 unidentified flood victims are interred.

This year, on that hot, sunny and dry day, our little hiking group consisted of a dozen visitors, including many locals. However, I'd venture that most people in the Johnstown area seldom think about their history and the long-ago events that occurred there.

Just a few miles away is another historic site, on other hallowed ground. In Shanksville, Pennsylvania, our generation is creating another memorial for a disaster burned into our national psyche. How and why do we remember? How will the New Orleans tragedy be dissected by historians and remembered in later years?

That history has yet to be written.

A flash flood WARNING means a flash flood is occurring or will occur very soon. ... Related Red Cross Preparedness Information ... Information Resources: American Red Cross Flash Flood Fact Sheet Information on surviving floods. Know what to expect. Be prepared ...

Posted by John Poyser at 06:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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This first week of June is the time of year when people are generally very happy—school is getting out, weddings are happening, the weather is the most beautiful of the year. (My opinion.) All the greatest people in history celebrate June birthdays. Spring is here and summer is nigh.

This is also a busy week historically, as disasters go. On June 1, 1638, the first earthquake recorded in the U.S. occurred at Plymouth, Massachusetts. 250 years later, California got its first seismograph at the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory Science and was thus able to tell us exactly what it was that scared the heck out of us for 13 seconds. In 1692, Port Royal, Jamaica, was hit by a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami. In just three minutes, 1600 people were killed and 3000 seriously injured. A large portion of land, on which the city was built, was washed away. An F5 tornado caused tremendous damage to Topeka, Kansas in1966.

This is the spot in the post when I write that behind it all, disaster lurks and our watchword is “preparedness.” Well, sure—we all know the fable of the ant and the grasshopper. Only fools enjoy themselves on a beautiful day when they SHOULD be checking their stash of batteries, bottled water and canned chili. Fools like me.

We can also make the best of things. June is National Accordion Month and I urge everyone to get in the spirit—when you're truly prepared, you can really enjoy yourself with a light heart.

(HUGE thanks to Berkeley Seismological Laboratory for images and access to materials)

Posted by John Poyser at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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If you visit this blog regularly, you'll notice some changes. They reflect an expanding scope, to cover topics beyond San Francisco's 1906 Earthquake and Fire. If you're here for the first time, thanks for stopping by—nice to have you.

When we began this blog a few months ago, it was part of San Francisco's commemoration of the centennial of the disaster. As much as remembering the tragedies of 1906, the centennial celebrated the legendary consequence of the Fire—San Francisco rebuilt itself, quickly and optimistically. The larger purpose served in the centennial was helping people become aware of "preparedness." This blog offers suggestions and provides links to help people remember what is learned from the past. By looking back, we can better plan forward.

Wells Fargo enjoys a great expanse over lots of places in the U.S. and around the world—a part of hundreds of communities. As this blog continues, our look at local responses to natural disasters will expand across that territory and anyplace else. So many things happen that challenge everyday life, in so many places: natural disasters and other occurrences are part of any region. The stories of how communities come together to recover from these challenges is the purpose of this blog.

Wells Fargo began business in San Francisco in 1852, but had offices all over the map within a few years. Our blog looked at events in our immediate area—San Francisco—for a short time, and now we'll start checking out stories across a wider territory. Feel free to send us the stories of your own experiences, or those of people you know. Because that is the best history—memories of people working together in response to big events.

Posted by John Poyser at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Here's a description of the devastation it caused (from San Francisco Chronicle, September 17, 1998):

Except for the 1906 earthquake-caused fire in San Francisco, it was the most destructive urban wildfire in Bay Area history until 1991, when the Oakland hills fire destroyed nearly 3,000 homes and took 25 lives. The Berkeley catastrophe set what was thought to be a destruction record at the time, 584 structures in two hours...

As in the Oakland Hills Fire of 1991, the flames were fanned by the hot and dry Santa Ana winds. The landscape quickly turned into a forest of broken chimneys and blackened trees—a foreshadowing of the scene that would play out on the East Bay Hills' southeastern end 68 years later. But, as though replaying scenes that followed the San Francisco quake of '06, the residents who played host to the refugees from across the Bay demonstrated the same humor and resilience—cooking dinner and playing the piano in the midst of ashes. See pictures or view a movie of the Berkeley Hills fire of 1923.

Posted by Jane Po at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I found these two timely (and very user-friendly) stories to help you wade through the fine print. The first, Wildfire: Insurance When All Is Lost, from CNN, focuses on fire insurance. Folks who've taken advantage of low interest rates to renovate their homes would benefit from this article, as it has tips on what to look for when updating the value of your coverage, such as higher rebuilding cost or a home upgrade. Check out the related articles, too, especially the one entitled Money 101: Insurance.

The second story, from MSNBC, entitled Do You Have Enough Homeowners' Insurance?, places emphasis on hurricane insurance coverage. Like the CNN story, it reminds the reader to revisit his or her insurance policy to account for higher building cost and recent renovations. A related story, Insurance Tips for Katrina Victims, could easily apply to anyone who's been a victim of a hurricane-related catastrophe.

Deconstructing an insurance document may not be as titillating as reading salacious items on Brangelina or TomKat, but think about it this way: Should you become a victim of a disaster, the last phrase you'd want to hear is, "NOT COVERED!"

Posted by Jane Po at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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If you live in a wildfire-prone area, there ARE things you can do to keep your McMansion from turning into a tinderbox during the fire season. Firewise Communities, a consortium of government and non-government agencies whose goal is "to reduce loss of lives, property, and resources to wildland fire by building and maintaining communities in a way that is compatible with our natural surroundings," maintains a web site that features plenty of tips and how-tos for the homeowner who wishes to keep his or her home fire-safe (no, we're not using the term fireproof).

The web site covers many topics that one wouldn't normally associate with fire prevention, such as landscaping. (Brush fire preparedness isn't just about fire extinguishers, you know?) It also offers an interactive tool for evaluating your home's exposure to wildfire risks.

Brush fires weren't really a bad thing until we trespassed into Mother Nature's stomping grounds. But since this is already said and done, it's best for us to learn how to live with her without incurring her wrath.

Posted by Jane Po at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Question: Do you know how to use a fire extinguisher? Yes, that red mini-tank filled with chemicals that's sitting in your kitchen. If you don't, here's a cute and quick tutorial, courtesy of the University of Oklahoma Police Department. If you read it, you'll get the post's title. ;)

Posted by Jane Po at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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To be able to better prepare for brush fires, the first thing one has to understand is fire behavior. This interactive web site, hosted by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, illustrates how different factors, such as weather or topography, affect the way fires begin and spread. If you're still not getting it, here's a simpler approach.

A great resource for finding out if you live in a fire-prone area is the National Interagency Fire Center's fire maps page. Some of the fire maps contain real-time data. (Viewing them is also a safe way to fulfill your pyro fantasy.) You may also want to extend your vocabulary by checking out the glossary on the Public Broadcasting System's (PBS) Nova companion site.

The information presented in these resources is written in accessible language—Ph.D. not required! By arming oneself with some basic knowledge, you have taken the first step to effective preparedness.

Posted by Jane Po at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I wish the answer were that easy. Fortunately, here's one site that features articles on smart giving. Smartgivers.org features guidelines on subjects such as how much to give to a charity, how much a organizations should spend on programs, and donor tax benefits.

Another good resource is the Better Business Bureau's Give.org. It evaluates over 600 national charitable organizations, with a strong emphasis on accountability. It also offers a medium for filing a complaint against unscrupulous organizations. Like Smartgivers.org, the site offers plenty of tips on charitable giving.

It's terrible when an act of kindness becomes an opportunity for getting taken advantage of. Luckily, online resources such as Give.org and Smartgivers.org help us to combine our good intentions with charity savvy.

Posted by Jane Po at 04:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation in the world, with much of its people living in poverty. Recovery will be slow, especially because the country is still dealing with the disaster caused by the tsunami in 2004. Disaster relief organizations have been quick to respond, but will need to raise more funds in a climate of "charity fatigue." Perhaps you'd like to help?

If you're thinking of donating money, but not quite sure how, here are some tips on how to give with confidence to charitable organizatons from Charity Navigator, a cool web site that helps donors make intelligent giving decisions. If you're already familiar with the ins and outs of charitable giving, take a look at the Reuters Foundation's Alertnet page on donating to the Indonesian quake relief effort. The page lists over 20 reputable disaster relief organizations working to help the earthquake victims. There's a link to the donation form page of each organization listed.

As we've seen in our own Bay Area history, it will take more than a village to rebuild and rise from destruction. With credit card on one hand and a mouse on the other, you can make a difference.

Posted by Jane Po at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I think we’ve misled ourselves into believing that we’re just as secure inside the four sides of our cars as we are within the four walls of our homes. Not so. The image on the left explains why. And, as the statistics point out, SUVs and pickups are just as vulnerable as small cars to the hazards of driving through a flood. Still not convinced? Watch this video called Never Cross a Flooded Road, Available in three formats: avi, mov or mpeg2.

Posted by Ed Terpening at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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There are many reasons why inland flooding poses the greatest danger in times of hurricanes, but the main one is because people underestimate the seriousness of the flood itself. Drivers charge ahead in flooded roadways without giving thought to water depth or what lies beneath the water (sinkholes, anyone?), so a lot of casualties are people who drown in their cars.

 To address this issue, the National Weather Service has launched a campaign called Turn Around Don’t Drown®. The campaign has created safety rules for coping with inland floods. It has also disseminated outreach materials, such as posters and brochures, which can be downloaded from the campaign’s web site. AND, if these reading materials don’t grab you, maybe this song will. 

Posted by Ed Terpening at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Posted by Ed Terpening at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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I finally found some awesome shots of a hurricane's eye, taken from a weather plane by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Posted by Jane Po at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The author takes a look at the future that befell the displaced of 1927, and what lies ahead for Katrina's victims. Perry comments on post-Katrina economic analyses parlayed by mainstream media pundits, as he points out the shameless candor with which some of these statements were made. And the sarcasm he unleashes on the government's action in response to the catastrophe makes the article a provocative read.

Posted by Jane Po at 03:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Hurricane Preparedness web site is rich in information on hurricane science, and on how to get ready for different hazards that come with hurricanes such as inland flooding (the first thing you should think about when a hurricane happens), storm surges and tornadoes. There's also a section on hurricane history, which features a tracker that graphically displays storms since 1851.

Two "cute" features: a table with the names of hurricanes for the seasons 2006 through 2011 (do you really want to name your child Whitney?), and a kids' site that has posters available for download. The kids' site also has a scavenger hunt to teach them how to assemble a disaster supply kit, and a hurricane coloring book.

In case you're wondering why we're focused on hurricanes this time, it's because June 1st marks the beginning of hurricane season. Also, after all the comparison that's been made between the destruction caused bv the quake of '06 and Katrina, do we really want to see another catastrophe of the same magnitude?

Posted by Jane Po at 03:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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...San Francisco civic leaders decided against making major upgrades of the city building code even though the U.S. Geological Survey concluded that poor building design contributed to the heavy losses.

San Francisco leaders worried tougher code standards could slow reconstruction.

"In the rush to rebuild, San Francisco was denied a safer future," Philip Fradkin wrote in his 2005 book, "The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906."

Efforts to upgrade the code substantially were defeated, Fradkin wrote. "For those in charge of building... little or nothing should be done so the city could be rebuilt as quickly and as cheaply as possible."

Reconstruction crews filled mushy shoreline areas with earthquake rubble to build on despite scientists' warnings that those areas were vulnerable to quake damage.

City leaders downplayed the earthquake damage to avoid scaring off loans needed to finance reconstruction.

Now if you think this was all something that could've only happened in the past, think again. This morning, an independent team of engineers and disaster experts released a report on why the levees failed during Hurricane Katrina. The conclusion? Failure of the levees was the result of "a culture of inattention that put safety lower on the scale than cost." Guided by history? You tell me.

Posted by Jane Po at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Like earthquakes, tsunamis strike without warning and, in many cases, may involve not one but more waves. Is there anything that can be done to prepare for a tsunami? What should you do when a tsunami hits? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has an excellent web site dedicated to tsunamis that features information on science, research, preparedness and disaster mitigation. Or read the USGS circular entitled Surviving a Tsunami—Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan for guidelines on tsunami preparedness, based on the accounts of survivors of past catastrophes.

Posted by Jane Po at 03:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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So massive was the catastrophe that when an earthquake measuring magnitude 7 occurred off the coast of Northern California on June 15, 2005, the survivors of the '64 tsunami had to relive the nightmare from 40 years before. Listen to a two-part broadcast about that horrific event on National Public Radio. (Part 1; Part 2)

Posted by Jane Po at 02:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Posted by Jane Po at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The magazine is loaded with articles on science written in accessible, everyday language. And it’s very generous with illustrative maps. But what got me transfixed was a story about a US Geological Survey (USGS) scientist who finally retired after 51 years of being the de facto spokesperson for the USGS. The story of this man’s dedication to his profession tied in very nicely with the article on what it’s like to be an earthquake scientist. An article that talked about the USGS’ Did You Feel It program showed how science research can enlist the general public’s help in data gathering, in effect turning the man on the street into Citizen Scientist.

Again, it’s the connection between science and everyday life that makes this magazine stand out against mundane—and oftentimes, just plain dull—government publications.

Posted by Jane Po at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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To find out if you live in landslide country, try looking for your area's landslide map on the US Geological Survey (USGS) web site. California’s Department of Conservation web site also contains detailed landslide maps for the state. If you’re an East Bay resident and want the ultimate landslide map experience, try the USGS/Google Earth helicopter tour of the Hayward Fault. It maps out active landslide areas in the East Bay Hills, and you can even zoom in on your house to see if it will be doing the luge when the next heavy rain or earthquake occurs.

Should you discover that you live in a landslide-prone area, don’t go into full buyer’s or renter’s remorse mode just yet. There are some things you can do to mitigate the impact of a landslide on your home. As in an earthquake, the key to surviving a landslide is preparedness. Check the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) web site for guidelines on what to do before, during and after a landslide.

Posted by Jane Po at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The USGS' California-based topographers, many of whom were originally hired to map the physical features of the state, shifted their focus and studied the effects of the quake through photography and field observations. Some of the more memorable photos on the quake that are in circulation today are part of the USGS collection. Many of them are reproduced in the pamphlet.

The prose of the booklet is unsentimental and devoid of drama. Instead, it highlights true accomplishments of the USGS' finest without the need for heroic language. You can read the booklet online or purchase a hard copy from the USGS.

Posted by Jane Po at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Posted by Jane Po at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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Sonoma was one of the hardest-hit areas of the 1906 earthquake. There are numerous photographs of the ruined Santa Rosa county courthouse in circulation in print and on the web. You can read a newspaper account of the quake from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat online. The destruction was caused by the earth movement itself, unlike in San Francisco where most of the destruction was caused by fire. The quake of '06 is the largest natural disaster to hit Sonoma.

This morning's earthquakes were not the only reminders that we in the Bay Area live under precarious conditions. The Sonoma County Museum is holding an exhibit entitled Force of Nature: 1906 Earthquake Centennial to commemorate the area's devastation which, as the exhibit's brochure explains, "dramatically rupture(s) our presumptions of stability."

Posted by Jane Po at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Earthquake , Remember , Wells Fargo , museums , perspective

I'm a big fan of online exhibits. They offer instant gratification—I am able to take a second look at an artifact and see if there are details that I missed on my first viewing, and I get to pay as many visits and enjoy parts of the exhibit that I like best. There’s something else I like about online exhibits. They’re a great way for collections to be shared with folks who don’t have the time or money to travel and view these rare gems.

One nice little exhibit I found is the Photographs of the 1906 Disaster From the Studios of Espey and Rogers, hosted by then Oakland Public Library. It’s a collection of pictures taken by Charles Victor Espey, a refugee from San Francisco who settled in Oakland. The plate glass negatives were donated to the Oakland Library when he passed away. The exhibit's layout is simple, no-nonsense, but the selections it featured had a kind of poignancy to them which I found very moving.

One particular photograph that caught my eye depicts