Japan gets hit by a 7.6 Earthquake

[KonoctisWigwam]

I did live in Japan for 5 years, they get a lot of earthquakes over there.

My wife and son are in Hachioji, which is west of Tokyo about 2 hours on the train, so they're safe. There's a 10' Tsunami headed to Tokyo...I hope we don't get them here, Santa Cruz can be in a bad spot...

This is a good reminder for us in California, we get about 1/3rd as many earthquakes, but we seem to be overdue...I do equate it to temperature, and it's been cold.

 

[Eastenerwesterner]

Last weekend I was at my retirement house when the quake hit Alaska, I looked for the tsunami warnings.
Near the Tsunami City, I kinda pay attention. A quarter mile from the yellow (you can walk away from it zone) I pay attention. Gotta drive through many to get back to the ranch

 

[KonoctisWigwam]

Last weekend I was at my retirement house when the quake hit Alaska, I looked for the tsunami warnings.
Near the Tsunami City, I kinda pay attention. A quarter mile from the yellow (you can walk away from it zone) I pay attention. Gotta drive through many to get back to the ranch

I was slightly confused with the time, it was in the middle of the night in Japan, and my wife said she slept through it...reminds me of the Northridge quake, we were 5 miles from the epicenter and my son slept through it, he was only a couple years old...we lost almost everything in our house from our wedding, gifts from Japan, etc...sure glad I sold that and moved to the bay area. That worked out pretty good so far...

 

[Eastenerwesterner]

There has been a cluster of quakes in San Ramon, all under 3, on the Calaveras Fault

 

[KonoctisWigwam]

There has been a cluster of quakes in San Ramon, all under 3, on the Calaveras Fault

There are 2 times of year I feel we're more vulnerable for earthquakes. Fall, transitioning to Winter (now), and Winter to Spring (Feb-March). I have been in some of the big quakes and they tend to fall into those 2 areas. Sylmar quake in '71~, we were evicted in the middle of moving from Canoga Park to Sepulveda (now North Hills), the Whitier quake...oh that was a funny one...I was working downtown L.A., and there was a Taiwan guy that started about a week before. We were on the 39th floor, and the BofA building, it was Security Pacific National Bank back then, I setup the PCs for the executives.

That tall building in downtown L.A. was on rollers in case of an earthquake. This guy is in his cube, and the quake hits. He left and never returned, and even left his Chinese programming books on the desk that he was reading. Never came back and collected his pay, nothing. To say that earthquake scared him silly is an understatement. He didn't even come back to collect his check at the bank...the execs flew into work in helicopters on the 56th floor (heli pad). Several years later I left because the salary increases were so low...I hated wearing a suit to work...finally I moved to Silicon Valley, where shorts, t-shirts, and birks were standard fare...

 

[Eastenerwesterner]

Well, I am 3 miles from the Calaveras fault. Under 3: no big deal. Mostly ripples.

Let’s go back to 2020. Fire evac, Cal Fire tells me they have no air support for our fire but we should evacuate. My property was first line of defense for the neighborhood. Air support is in Sonoma protecting Gavin and Nancy’s wineries.

Sitting in my evac hotel, watching air support battling the rich people’s wineries a cluster or swarm epicenter happens at 1.5 m as the crow flies.

Put yourself in my shoes. Your don’t know if you got a house and barn, from Fire or Quakes. Been there too many times. 5 to be exact. That is why I do what I do.

My wife’s house was built in to the bedrock and had 1 thing fall off a shelf in Northridge quake in the Sunland area. She was more fearful of the fires we had in 2024 We watched from the south edge of a resivoir.

 

[KonoctisWigwam]

Well, I am 3 miles from the Calaveras fault. Under 3: no big deal. Mostly ripples.

Let’s go back to 2020. Fire evac, Cal Fire tells me they have no air support for our fire but we should evacuate. My property was first line of defense for the neighborhood. Air support is in Sonoma protecting Gavin and Nancy’s wineries.

Yeah, some things never seem to change in CA.

Put yourself in my shoes. Your don’t know if you got a house and barn, from Fire or Quakes. Been there too many times. 5 to be exact. That is why I do what I do.

I can't say I don't feel similar. I can't get home insurance, even when I move the home to the foundation. AFAIK, there's over the BS affordable act that will provide crap insurance for $5k/year.

My wife’s house was built in to the bedrock and had 1 thing fall off a shelf in Northridge quake in the Sunland area. She was more fearful of the fires we had in 2024 We watched from the south edge of a resivoir.

It was the Sylmar quake in '71 was the first time I had seen an overpass collapse, on TV. That was up by Sunland. I vaguely remember a place called Lake View Terrace, up in that area where I got stuck in a 4WD when I was first learning about off road driving. Then in '89, when the Loma Prieta quack hit in Los Gatos area, the Bay Bridge collapsed with cars crossing on it...I was in SoCal at the time, but the housing market had plummeted in the Bay Area, I had friend move back to NC, only to move back to CA about 5 years later. People get used to this lifestyle. It wasn't until I bought my house in West San Jose around mid '90s that the prices started to go up...that Loma Prieta left everyone in fear around the Bay Area for years. I've been through most of the big ones...most of which were in L.A. area, but believe it or not, the San Andreas runs all the way up to Lake County. I'm known geoligists in the past and everyone I spoke with has said that even though Mount Konocti is still active, it stands much less chance of going off than Mammoth, but I don't think we can predict Mother Nature.

You mentioned the Northridge quake. My house was close to Balboa/Victory, if you know the Valley area, right by Birmingham High School. We were about 5 miles from the Epicenter, which was at CSUN. I worked in Santa Monica, next to the airport. That building was condemned, and had cracks about 2' wide, running up through the concrete walls. That was about 30 miles away from the epicenter, go figure...

 

[Eastenerwesterner]

I can't say I don't feel similar. I can't get home insurance, even when I move the home to the foundation. AFAIK, there's over the BS affordable act that will provide crap insurance for $5k/year.

I would wish for the day of 100% increase to 5k. Try 10k and more for content insurance.

It was the Sylmar quake in '71 was the first time I had seen an overpass collapse, on TV. That was up by Sunland. I vaguely remember a place called Lake View Terrace, up in that area where I got stuck in a 4WD when I was first learning about off road driving. Then in '89, when the Loma Prieta quack hit in Los Gatos area, the Bay Bridge collapsed with cars crossing on it...I was in SoCal at the time, but the housing market had plummeted in the Bay Area,

I think we lived in the same neck of the woods in LA. Our hill overlooked Lakeview Terrance. I was a volunteer coach at CSUN. Overpass collapse was probably on the 5 because 210 wasn’t complete then. 210 was used extensively for the Filming of CHiPs. Even saw a still misspelled sign on a CHiPs episode Sunland Blvd 2 mile. Not miles, used to drive my wife nuts.

I know we lived in the same neck of the woods in the Bay Area , me still being more remote.

I had friend move back to NC, only to move back to CA about 5 years later. People get used to this lifestyle. It wasn't until I bought my house in West San Jose around mid '90s that the prices started to go up...that Loma Prieta left everyone in fear around the Bay Area for years. I've been through most of the big ones...most of which were in L.A. area, but believe it or not, the San Andreas runs all the way up to Lake County. I'm known geoligists in the past and everyone I spoke with has said that even though Mount Konocti is still active, it stands much less chance of going off than Mammoth, but I don't think we can predict Mother Nature.

I believe San Andreas goes up through Eureka then off shore. You definitely can see it going through Vasquez Rocks though

 

[alan]

I did live in Japan for 5 years, they get a lot of earthquakes over there.

My wife and son are in Hachioji, which is west of Tokyo about 2 hours on the train, so they're safe. There's a 10' Tsunami headed to Tokyo...I hope we don't get them here, Santa Cruz can be in a bad spot...

This is a good reminder for us in California, we get about 1/3rd as many earthquakes, but we seem to be overdue...I do equate it to temperature, and it's been cold.

Living in Japan really brings earthquake preparedness to the forefront, and I’m so glad to hear your family is safe. The tsunami threat is definitely something to take seriously, but being informed and having a plan is crucial. For those of us in California, this is a timely reminder that while we might not feel quakes as often as Japan does, the risk is still very real, especially in coastal areas. I think we should always review our emergency plans, secure heavy items, and be updated on alerts. Let’s keep this discussion alive. Any tips or local prep strategies for fellow Californians would be greatly appreciated!

 

[KonoctisWigwam]

Living in Japan really brings earthquake preparedness to the forefront, and I’m so glad to hear your family is safe. The tsunami threat is definitely something to take seriously, but being informed and having a plan is crucial. For those of us in California, this is a timely reminder that while we might not feel quakes as often as Japan does, the risk is still very real, especially in coastal areas. I think we should always review our emergency plans, secure heavy items, and be updated on alerts. Let’s keep this discussion alive. Any tips or local prep strategies for fellow Californians would be greatly appreciated!

In the past I have always kept 2 x 5 gallons of water. I think water will be the most critical, as we can only go for about a short while without water in our system. I have always hoped I have enough dry food and canned food to get by.

From our training in schools, get under desks, or stand in a door frame so you don't get hurt. To date, we haven't had a big enough event, nothing like the hurricanes in the deep south and/or Florida. A friend of mine always used to say, buy a mobile home, they seem like magnets for hurricanes.

They get a lot of small earthquakes in Japan, more than California. And they have had some massive ones...Our cousin lost their house in Kobe, when the quake hit there...and the big Tsunami from Fukuoka (Nuclear plant) that hit Sendai. Our cousin is a principal at a high school, he opened the gym to house people during that quake. The real danger is if we get an earthquake that takes out the major infrastructure, like water, electricity, etc...it would be a real mess here, and not sure FEMA could respond.