Jan. 17, 1994: the covered body of Los Angeles motorcycle officer Clarence W. Dean lays near his motorcycle which plunged off Highway 14 overpass that collapsed onto Interstate 5 (AP Photo/Doug Pizac) Hollywood studios are not the ones behind the latest script detailing a massive future earthquake hitting Los Angeles. This time, it's scientists and other quake experts... over 300 of them. Specifically, the U.S. Geological Survey and California Geological Survey have collaborated to......

Earthquake Photo via Shanghaiist The nearly 10,000 person death toll (and rising!) after yesterday's massive 7.8 earthquake in the Sichuan province of China serves as a reminder to Los Angeles that we are just as vulnerable to such a large shaker. It was just last month that scientists said "California faces an almost certain risk of being rocked by a strong earthquake by 2037." And they're talking about "the big one." Shanghaiist, a sister......

75 years ago: Long Beach earthquake | Photo by Jan Bruce, great aunt of LAist Featured Photos contributor victoriabernal Did ABC's Eli Stone and the U.S. Geological Survey collaborate to put us all on an earthquake watch today? Last night's episode of the San Francisco based "visionary" drama, where Stone's brain aneurism causes him to see the future, was about a giant earthquake hitting the bay city causing the Golden Gate bridge to collapse......

Not about to throw his back out. With the holiday season coming up, many of us become nostalgic with the sights, smells, and sounds of relatives and good times past and present. Some of us turn to photographs to settle these hungry feelings, others slides, others old film reels. The main problem in this endeavor, though, comes when you try to actually find the photos you're thinking of. I know, in my house, we have......

Good thing the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) put out a Red Flat Alert (move your car if you live in the hills or you could be towed) last night for today -- a major brush fire began this morning around 5:50 a.m. near Tampa Ave and Sesnon Bl (yo, Valley, people, this is Porter Ranch) in Los Angeles County territory according to alerts from the LAFD. In the name of mutual aid, the......

I am loving this ATP-inspired idea of playing entire albums from beginning to end. Tonight we hit the Music Box to see The Melvins play Houdini and Mudhoney play Superfuzz Big Muff plus Early Singles. Sadly, we missed Flipper. We were late because I fell down the back steps as we rushed out the door. Bob wanted me to stay home and ice my foot, but no way was I missing this gig! We......

Every time I go to a city of Los Angeles fair of some type, I walk away with a lot of free quality swag. I've made off with countless CFL lightbulbs, useful maps, emergency supply kits and even Port Police lip balm (yeah, sexy). Today, is one of the four 16th Annual Dare to Prepare Emergency Preparedness Fairs (.pdf) taking place in the city this month, which happens to be National Preparedness Month. If all......

Nichols Canyon Rd. was shut down last night due to a mudslide. "A break in an 8-inch main has undermined the road and will be closed until approximately noon Sunday, after repairs complete. Alternate routes are suggested," D'lisa Davies of the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a text alert.......

Brace for a Quake: A Survival Guide on KCET has aired a few times already this month during their pledge drive, but you have one more chance to catch this great show that covers insurance, myths, how to fix up your home, workplace/office safety, what to do when you're in a car, and more. Schedule your TIVO for Sunday, August 19th at 12:30 PM on KCET. You can also contribute money to our local public......

If there is anyone who is prepared for an earthquake of a much higher magnitude than last night’s 4.5, Captain Stacy Gerlich of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is that person. Gerlich, whose official title is Captain I/Paramedic CERT Program Coordinator Special Operations Section, Disaster Preparedness CERT Unit, is in charge of the complimentary program that trains Los Angeles citizens to prepare themselves, their families and their neighborhoods for disasters. This program is the......

Who said emergency preparedness has to be boring? If you live, work or spend a good amount of time in Topanga, this free downloadable document is a must. The team that designed this 17 chapter disaster guide did an extremely beautiful job putting this visually exciting document together. And why did they do it? Here is the introduction from County Supervisor Yev Zaroslovsky: I am honored to present the inaugural edition of the Topanga......

Using the latest and greatest Internet tools, the Los Angeles Fire Department is setting an example for public communication and ubiquity in the information age. After being notified via text message of a "traffic collision with entrapment on Sherman Way," we paid a call to LAFD for an update on their ever-expanding Web endeavors. We caught up with veteran LAFD firefighter and public service officer Brian Humphrey during one of his 24-hour shifts in......

We're all used to tests by the Emergency Broadcasting System, but, thankfully, rare is the occasion when you hear those sounds, see that screen, and it's NOT a test. That all changed today when I was eating a little lunch and the above image popped up on my TV screen. And it could not have been more nebulous. What this alert told me was that we were having a "civil emergency." Unfortunately, there was......

A Memorial Weekend BBQ in East Hollywood was my destination yesterday. And since my recent habit has been to use public transit mixed with the bike, that's what I set out to do from my Sherman Oaks flat. First, I was off to Ralphs Fresh Fare at Ventura and Coldwater to pick up some food. I shop, exit and head to my bike. Right then, an escalade pulls up and parks in the fire......

This two man per shift team gets called out about 2 times a day to points all over the city. Based in Sherman Oaks at Fire Station 88 on Sepulveda, emergency calls to far points such as San Pedro may warrant the use of a helicopter. In that case, they will take what they need for the situation and have a different USR truck waiting for them at the scene.......

We all know with the budget shell game, money gets shifted, programs beget and programs get dropped. Another program on the cutting board of the proposed budget is the CERT training, otherwise known as the Community Emergency Response Team. This free training by the fire department is invaluable (we know). The fact of the matter is that when a huge earthquake comes and makes life much worse than 1994's quake, the city is not......

How to Protect Yourself and Others from Electrical Hazards Following a Natural Disaster - Never touch a fallen power line. Call the power company to report fallen power lines. - Avoid contact with overhead power lines during cleanup and other activities. - Do not drive through standing water if downed powerlines are in the water. - If a power line falls across your car while you are driving, stay inside the vehicle and continue......

Mayor Sam blogger Councilman John openly questions Neighborhood Councils on their emergency preparedness initiatives. Should they be spending part of their $50,000 annual budget on stock piling materials for a neighborhood? Do they need consistent guidance from the city? Well, here is some guidance: if you do not have 10-gallons of water stored in case of an earthquake, you might be screwed. If you are reading this and going, "nah, I won't be," it's......

Um...yeah. Everybody saw it. Nobody wants to talk about it. So, I will. Perhaps some of you encountered some creepy fog during the late evening hours. From my vantage point, both The Grove (seen above) and downtown LA were temporarily taken from us. I'm prepping my pitchfork and torch so I won't be found off guard tonight. Are you with me, people??!!......

Today is Groundhog Day, and in keeping with the arbitrary tradition of letting overgrown rodents dictate our seasons, George Bush and his Energy Policy Act of 2005 have decided to give us a large order of Spring, with four extra sides of Daylight Savings. Yes, for real. The bill amends the Uniform Time Act of 1966 by changing the start and end dates of daylight saving time starting in 2007. Clocks will be set......

It's that time for the high winds and the low humidity to bring us easy access to fire. All the fire you need could come this weekend so don't be dumb and smoke in the hills. And beware when you park in the hills as well. As of 10 a.m. tomorrow morning, the city will be towing your ass out of there. What are we talking about? This is what we're talking about. This too......

Dear Sabrina’s Vagina, I just read your column. You seem to think you’re “all knowing”. Well, if that’s a fact please explain to myself and the rest of your readers what the true spirit of Christmas is. I figure in the very least this should be good cause even if you’re rude to me it will exemplify the sort of ignorant moron you actually are. Stephanie Dear Stephanie, Are you always so pleasant? It’s......

LAist is proud to announce its new partnership with the StormTracker XR-4000! Our top of the line weather machine boasts a variable percent of accuracy with partial correctness some of the time. This way, we can stay competitive with other News outlets who offer similar rates of success when predicting an onslaught of the elements. After an exhaustive, interpretive study of empirical data, our highly specialized research team has concluded that it’s probably going......

Hey, we know that our constant nagging at you to get yourself some water to store away for that ominous future disaster that everyone thinks is going to happen can get exasperating -- we call it Chinese water torture. And we really shouldn't say 'think' either. Let's say, "we know it's going to happen." It's true; people are still out there living their lives day to day without any thought to preparing for a......

There was a 6.6 earthquake yesterday in Hawaii. It gets us thinking... 1. Buy water for your home. 2. Do you have at least a half tank of gas in your car at all times? It would kinda suck if you were nearing empty when the big one struck. 3. Buy water for your car. 4. We would hate to be stuck at the office when a major earthquake that doesn't give us the......

You work a 9-80, freelance like us, or maybe you don't have job. Whatever the case is, Councilman Tom LaBonge has something for you tomorrow morning. So be alert and be ready to report to Fire Station 27 in Hollywood for the new First Fridays: "Growing up in Los Angeles during the Cold War, we practiced drills every first Friday each month as the city's air raid sirens went off. While the Cold War......