When the Earth Moves

And I don't mean in a good way …

With the news of another local earthquake this morning, although much less than the one of a few weeks ago (2.6 vs. 5.4), I felt inclined to share some tips from FEMA on what to do during an earthquake.

We weren't alone, either. Between yesterday and this morning, the San Diego area also had a minor quake and the southern Philippines had one classified as moderate (4.8). And on Friday, similar moderate quakes shook Alaska, Indonesia, and New Zealand. There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on.

Apparently, the things I always remembered being told to do are 100 percent wrong, meaning I was more likely to end up dead if a mondo quaker hit. (I was always told that you go outside. After seeing this stat -- Many of the 120 fatalities from the 1933 Long Beach earthquake occurred when people ran outside of buildings only to be killed by falling debris from collapsing walls-- I'm thinking that wasn't such a good idea.)

One of the tips is to stay in bed if you're already there at the time. (Boy did I blow that one! When This D*mn House was rocked last month, I immediately jumped from my shaking bed.) The exception: If you're directly under a heavy light fixture. Then, you should move. On second thought, I'm thinking that moving wasn't so bad. Since my bed is right next to a window, I don't think I'd want to be hit by shards of glass.

Just passing along what could be useful information if the earth's plates continue to shift with their current frequency.