The Rapture may be a let down (Saturday isn't over yet...), but we still do live atop earthquake central and being prepared for a variety of natural and unnatural disasters is part of the deal. Today, The Los Angeles Police Department and The Los Angeles Fire Department are holding an Emergency Preparedness Fair until 1:00 p.m. at Helen Bernstein High School, 1309 North Wilton Place, Los Angeles 90028, to help with all your pre-apocalyptic needs. more ›

Northern Mexico woke early Saturday to a 4.9 magnitude shaker near the US border. According to the US Geological Survey, the moderate earthquake hit Baja California at 4:52 a.m. near Guadalupe Victoria located a little over 100 miles south of San Diego. more ›

For the third year in a row, California will hold a statewide earthquake drill. An estimated 7.7 million people are taking part, and organizers behind the Great California ShakeOut are hoping for more (yes, you can still register, or just do it on your own without registering). Their message may be lifesaying, yet simple -- "drop, cover and hold on" -- but it's something that isn't necessarily engrained in the minds of Californians (natives and newcomers alike) such as "stop, drop and roll." more ›

The National Weather Service is predicting Southern California's 2010 face-off with the Devil Winds could happen as early as this weekend. more ›

A new report from the National Academies of Science has concluded that the West Coast, particularly Northern California through Washington, is not prepared for tsunami activity. One main cause of concern is the Cascadia subduction zone, which is not located near Los Angeles. more ›

A 7.4 earthquake struck New Zealand's south island this morning, causing widespread damage. It struck near the city of Christchurch where around 400,000 people live. So far, there are no reports of casualties, reported the Associated Press. more ›

Marta Lopez sat in church one Sunday as her head spun and her thoughts became blank. She recovered consciousness and stared in confusion as paramedics standing over her asked questions she could not answer. Lopez, a Spanish-speaking El Salvadoran, struggled not only to regain her senses but simultaneously muster up the little English she knew to describe a heart condition that had caused her to faint. more ›

Now the recently released series of inundation maps covering the most vulnerable areas of California's coast (here are the L.A. maps) have been released in conjunction with Tsunami Awareness & Preparedness Week, thanks to the California Geological Survey along with California Emergency Management Agency and Tsunami Research Center at USC. more ›

Those who are already members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) should know this--"the big one" will likely be preceded by a biggish one--but it's a fact worth repeating over and over and over again. "I would expect some aftershocks with a 4.4 quake," USGS seismologist Bob Dollar tells Sciencedude Gary Robbins at the OC Register about this morning's "light" 4.4 quake at 4:04 a.m. "There’s still a 5 percent probability that we’ll have a larger event within a day, and a 10 percent probability of something in the 3.0 range within a week.” In any case, and as always, every no-big-deal earthquake should be a reminder to get prepared (here's the LAFD .pdf Handbook). more ›

On Saturday night there was a 6.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Northern California. Today at 1:53 p.m. PST there was a 7.0 magnitude quake in Haiti. more ›

Today is the state's largest-ever earthquake drill ever. Some 6.8 million people are signed up to participate in the simple, but important process of dropping, covering and holding on. You don't need really don't need to sign up, but listening to this video from the Great California Shakeout may help when a large quake starts shaking--hopefully in your sudden freakout, you remember these tips. more ›

California Shakeout organizers are doing something quite genius to further their message this Thursday, when a major mock earthquake will strike California. They've asked radio and TV stations to participate by broadcasting an emergency message at 10:15 a.m. about the statewide drill and what people should do if it were a real earthquake (see the TV version above). 6.4 million people are signed up for the coordinated event. more ›

Yesterday's earthquake that sent a tsunami into American Samoa (and some slightly higher waves to Los Angeles) reminded us of this year's anticipated earthquake... drill. Just like last year, millions are expected to pretend a huge earthquake has struck and participate in statewide drill. This is the second year for the Great California ShakeOut, a major emergency preparedness public education tool. It doesn't take too much time, but the lesson of knowing the mantra, "drop, cover and hold on," can make a difference. more ›

President Barack Obama proclaimed September as National Wilderness Month yesterday on the 45th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, which protects pure land from being touched by any hint of development. Even areas within protected National Parks are declared as wilderness to stop government agencies from building roads, hiking paths or visitor centers. more ›

A minor 3.2 quake struck near Los Angeles International Airport at 9:14 p.m., but caused no reported damage as of a half hour later, according to the LA Times. The earthquake was also located in the same general area of a few quakes that struck in May. A 4.7 rattler struck on May 17 followed by a 4.1 on May 19. These little quakes are always a good reminder to get prepared: store water, take CERT and take other measures (.pdf) to help make one of the potentially worst days of your life--when the big one strikes--a little better. more ›

After sections of Yorba Linda were devastated last weekend beneath the powerful flames of the Triangle/Freeway Complex Fire, the city now faces another potential natural disaster: Mudslides. The OC Register explains how their city's public works director, Mark Stowell, has been "doing his best to impress upon the residents that the city's bare, fire-blackened hills now pose a huge threat to those homes that escaped last weekend's firestorm." With rains due to fall as early as tomorrow night, residents are not only having to recover from the fires, but also shore up their hillsides and homes with sandbags, in case the dried-out soil can't hold and the mud comes crashing down. more ›

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As of part of today's regionwide 10 a.m. earthquake drill, Metro will be slowing its trains for one hour between 10 and 11 this morning. Their purpose is "so maintenance personnel can simulate inspections on track and other rail infrastructure... Over the course of this one hour period, trains may run at minimum operating speeds (under 20 mph), depending on the location of the train and the exact time. All passengers riding during this time period should expect some delays and plan accordingly." An estimated 5.2 million people are expected to take part in today's Great Southern Califronia ShakeOut exercise. Watch these two videos to catch up. more ›

A follow up from yesterday's amazing and scary video. Sign up to participate (or just do it anyway) at the Great Southern California ShakeOut website. more ›

Finally. With tomorrow's massive earthquake drill planned for 10:00 a.m. (are you taking part in the Great Southern California ShakeOut?), the federal government along with tons of scientists and local agencies have put out this death-defying dramatic video on YouTube that will hopefully scare the bejesus out of Los Angeles area residents to actually prepare themselves. This is one of those scare tactics we'll gladly accept from big bro. Get thyself prepared. more ›

Whether you're a homeowner or renter, after a fire destroys your property, you'll be working with insurance to start over again (that's assuming, you have insurance, probably a good idea if you live in Southern California). "Residents need to prepare for evacuation with a 'grab and go box' containing important insurance and financial documents, a room-by-room inventory and relevant receipts," tips the Daily News. more ›

When City Controller Laura Chick releases an audit showing deficiencies within the city, it's up to the departments, the city council and the media to follow up and make sure the issues are addressed. Otherwise, what's broken in the city won't get fixed. Councilmember Wendy Greuel, who is running for Controller next year, is taking the recent Emergency Prep audit to task. "The audit found various emergency plans that are outdated and incomplete," Greuel said in e-mailed statement about the motion she submitted today. "It is important that the City review its emergency preparedness plans, including how it will manage its funds, so that City may continue to provide the necessary services to its residents. This is something that should not wait until it's too late." more ›

On Tuesday, a few hours after the earthquake, the Los Angeles Fire Department put up a link on the "Highlights" section on the homepage of the city's website, pointing to their Earthquake and Disaster Preparedness Manual (.pdf)--a smart move since right after an earthquake is the best time to educate people on preparing for a future and considerably worse one (Tuesday's quake was only considered "moderate"). more ›

month “Emergency Preparedness Day” in California. It would be a monthly reminder to have schools hold drills and for people to be aware of their emergency plans. The motion will be considered next week by the council. more ›

Running is one of the most dangerous things you can do," explained Brian Humphrey, Spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department and a previous Community Emergency Response Team instructor. "People can lose their lives when they run, especially when windows or glass mirrors are near. You should duck, cover and hold." more ›

City Controller Laura Chick was scheduled to speak to the LA City Council today about her most recent report on the city not being as emergency and disaster prepared as it should be (.pdf). Following the earthquake, her office sent out this notice at 12:37 p.m,: more ›

There's been eight tiny shakers in the past 24 hours ranging from a magnitude 0.9 (no one felt it) to 2.8 (only felt it if you were sitting). Tip of the Day: If you're like us, you've got bookcases. Sometimes those bookcases are near your bed or maybe a couch. Is it secure? Are shelving units held in by earthquake puddy? Is the whole unit strapped to the wall? All good things to think about before you're rudely awakened. more ›

No less than 15 lower-than-2.0-magnitude quakes shook throughout the Los Angeles area over the weekend. If your cat did one of those random hop and a skips with a shriek, that was probably it. And it's nothing to worry about. What is to have concern over is not being prepared for a large scale earthquake. One of the best ways to keep up on the issue is staying in tune with the The Great Southern California ShakeOut which will host the world's largest earthquake drill in November. And they've made it easier. In addition to their blog, they've got even more social media friendly with a MySpace and Facebook page. more ›

A 1.6 in Loma Linda and a 1.8 up in Frazier Park in the last 24 hours. And that's simply it. Tip of the Day: If you're heading to, moving to or are just interested in learning more about preparedness, San Francisco has a very easy-to-use and slickly designed website called 72hours.org, which named after the amount of time they expect you to be on your own without any government help. more ›

It's the usual daily shakings here and there. If you were in Santa Monica yesterday and thought you felt something, you might have. There were three mini shakes. Tip of the day: There has been talk about using Twitter during emergencies. While cell phone use takes up bandwidth, texting does not, therefore helping save the cellular network from crashing. more ›