Clearly Mother Nature hasn’t been happy with the way things have been going, because Santa Barbara has already been affected by fires, rainstorms and mudslides, all within the past few months. And in case we haven’t been plagued with enough natural disasters already, California is expecting a major earthquake soon. According to a U.S. geographical study, California is currently an active seismic region, and scientists predict that CA will be experiencing a 6.7-8.2 earthquake within the next several years. An earthquake of this magnitude could easily bring building structures down, destroy roads, and in a nutshell, completely wreak havoc on California.
Living on the coast, we have a little bit more to worry about than if we lived elsewhere. If the instability of the Del Playa cliffs didn’t already make you nervous, the addition of a major earthquake to those houses should make you a little wary.
Luckily, Her Campus has got you covered. In order to prepare for a huge earthquake, we put together an essential earthquake kit you should keep in your room.
5 Things that Should Most Definitely be in an Earthquake Kit:
1. Water
You can’t go more than a few days without water, and if an earthquake hits and you can’t get to the nearest store (or if the nearest store is sold out), finding clean water is going to be your #1 priority. Have an extra jug of water or a few water bottles at the ready in your room just in case.
Image via American Chemical & Sanitary Supply
2. Non-perishable food
Do you love camping? No? Neither do we. But if an earthquake hits, you may essentially have to act like you’re camping and pack and a bunch of food for the upcoming days when no one can get to stores. Pack some non-perishable food like nuts, beef jerky, dried fruits, and protein bars in your kit. You’ll thank us later.
Image via Blues Against Hunger Society
3. Medicine
An earthquake like this can do a lot of damage. Pack medicine — whether that’s some generic Tylenol or a few extra tablets of your prescription medicine — and put it in a baggy in your earthquake kit. This could be, quite literally, a lifesaver.
Image via SF Environment
4. Feminine Products
Because it would just really suck to have to go without these when you need them.
Image via Worldette
5. Cash
When a massive natural disaster strikes, it’s likely that the power will go out. This means that credit cards won’t be usable if the cashier machines are down. Have enough cash to be able to purchase necessities like food, water, and gas.
Image via Wall Street Journal
We all know that natural disasters have been pretty common in California lately, especially near Santa Barbara. Making an earthquake kit can take less than 5 minutes, and you’ll be eternally grateful in the long run if you have one of these things at the ready. Read more on earthquakes at pubs.usgs.gov.