It Can All Change in an Instant

It only takes a few seconds for everything to change and we never know when it might happen. People going about their daily tasks can never know if the next moment will be the one when the great quake strikes, the tornado touches down, a hurricane comes to town, or a volcano erupts.

Yes, we have warning systems, but these are geared to the last such incident. In Japan for instance, there are very sophisticated warning systems protecting Tokyo, where the last great quake in the 1930's hit. Nobody expected one off the north coast of Japan, where the last huge quake was 1200 years ago. So the warnings came to those who needed them the least and for the north coast, where the quake hit, 5 to 10 minutes was all the warning anyone got.

We seem woefully unprepared for huge disasters. When New Orleans was flooded, nobody knew what to do. The impact was just too big. In San Francisco and Los Angeles, earthquakes are second nature and we've handled them mostly pretty well. However, what about St. Louis, Missouri, which sits right next to a very dangerous fault and which has no earthquake preparations in sight?

It is well to remember, as we continue to build in very dangerous areas, that Nature will act up from time to time with very little or no warning to us. Many of our coast cities are the potential victims of earthquake and flood, the plains cities will get devastating tornados, ice and sleet can devastate the northern cities. And of course, little known to most of this country, Yellowstone Park sits on top of what would be a hugely devastating volcano, should it decide to erupt.

In spite of all of this, with a few minimum precautions, we can live normal lives and not worry about such incidents. They will come when they will come and will damage what they will damage and those of us who remain will carry on until the next one arrives. Calls for reform, for change will mostly go unheeded, the damaged areas will be rebuilt in the same places, and time will march on.

Once we have done the best we can, we can't worry about the worst. That would paralyze us all. We must instead forge ahead with what we individually do best to make the world the best place we can for our families and descendants.

Meanwhile, think twice before building your house on the San Andreas Fault or in a deep river valley or one of California's fire zones.