Talk of the Town: Shake, rattle and roll....all over California

With all this excitement about the recent earthquake and aftershocks in California, there are some things that just aren’t true. The Department of Conservation in California wants to set the record straight.

Earthquake mythology or...don’t believe everything you hear!

If the earth moves beneath our feet, is it because Atlas shrugged? In a bygone era, some folks may have believed that theory, but even today there are earthquake anecdotes that aren’t exactly the stuff of modern science. Let’s take a look at them:

Dogs and other animals can “sense” when an earthquake is going to strike.

It’s impossible to determine whether a dog is behaving in an unusual manner because it smells an earthquake coming or a cat across the street. Changes in animal behavior sometimes have been observed prior to earthquakes, but that behavior is not consistent, and sometimes there’s no perceptible behavior change prior to an earthquake.

Earthquakes occur during “earthquake weather.”

The common misconception that earthquakes occur during hot and dry weather dates to the ancient Greeks. Earthquakes take place miles underground, and can happen at any time in any weather.

Big earthquakes always occur early in the morning.

Just as earthquakes don’t care about the weather, they can’t tell time. The 1940 Imperial Valley quake was at 9:36 p.m., the 1989 Loma Prieta quake at 5:02 p.m. People who perpetuate the time and weather myths tend to remember the earthquakes that fit the pattern and forget about the ones that don’t.

California could fall into the sea because of an earthquake.

The San Andreas Fault System is the dividing line between two tectonic plates. The Pacific Plate is moving in a northwesterly direction relative to the North American plate. The movement is horizontal, so while Los Angeles is moving toward San Francisco, California won’t sink. However, earthquakes can cause landslides, slightly changing the shape of the coastline.

The ground can open up and swallow people.

You’ve seen the image in books, movies and TV shows. That’s not how it works. If a fault could open up, there wouldn’t be any friction. Without friction, there’s no earthquake. But earthquakes cause settling and other ground deformation that can include open fissures into which people, cars, etc., can fall.

The safest place to be in an earthquake is under a doorway.

That’s true only if you live in an unreinforced adobe home. In a modern structure the doorway is no stronger than the rest of the building. Actually, you’re more likely to be hurt (by the door swinging wildly) in a doorway. And in a public building, you could be in danger from people trying to hurry outside. If you’re inside, get under a table or desk and hang on to it.

Small earthquakes keep big ones from happening.

Each magnitude level represents about 30 times more energy released. It takes 30 magnitude 3s to equal the energy released in a magnitude 4, 900 magnitude 3s to equal a magnitude 5 … and 729 billion magnitude 3s to equal a single magnitude 9. So while a small quake may temporarily ease stress on a fault line, it does not prevent a large temblor.

The magnitude of an earthquake determines whether disaster assistance is forthcoming.

A magnitude 7 quake in the middle of the desert is likely to do less damage than a magnitude 6 in downtown Los Angeles or San Francisco. It is the magnitude of the damage, not the earthquake, which determines the level of response.

There’s nothing I can do about earthquakes, so why worry about them?

It’s true that earthquakes can’t be stopped, but you can be prepared. You can prepare an earthquake kit (food, water, flashlight, etc.), practice “duck, cover and hold” drills at home with your family and at work, and develop an earthquake plan (where would you meet family members if you weren’t together when an earthquake hit?).

Sources: California Geological Survey/California Geology, USGS, Arkansas Center for Earthquake Education and Technology Transfer, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Science Foundation, Southern California Earthquake Center, American Red Cross, Center for Earthquake Research and Information/University of Memphis.

On July 15, Green Valley Assistance Services held its annual Back-to-School Program, “Help Us Help Kids,” at Anza Trail School.

Under this program, GVAS collects school supplies to distribute to low-income students. Qualified families in the Continental and Sahuarita School districts received a backpack, complete supplies for the student’s grade, a $50 Target gift card, and a $40 food card. As a special surprise this year, each family also received a $15 gift card for gas from Safeway.

“Every year it is just phenomenal to see the kids’ faces,” says GVAS program coordinator Barb Hunt. “This year 266 children were able to select their own supplies and backpacks from items donated and purchased through generous community support.”

At the event, all of the goodies were separated according to grade, and kids were thrilled at the chance to choose their favorite styles and colors.

“We think it’s important to give participants a sense of choice and ownership,” says Hunt. “It’s a way of shopping, because they can’t go to the stores and choose.”

Hunt says that the vast majority of qualified families include parents or guardians who work at minimum wage jobs, which makes affording school supplies a challenge. “Participating in the Back-to-School Program helps them to budget,” she says. “Many of these folks are employed in service jobs, and face cutbacks in work hours during the summer.”

Hunt sees some families return each year for much-needed assistance. One person who stands out in her mind is an approximately 80-year-old woman who is raising her great grandson. This great grandmother places very high importance on the value of education.

“She talks about how bright her great grandson is, and how fast he is learning,” says Hunt. “In her eyes, the Back-to-School program is one of the keys to his continued success.”

It’s interesting to note that this great grandmother also receives vital assistance from GVAS through its volunteer support program. Volunteers help seniors with tasks such as grocery shopping, running errands, and rides to medical appointments.

GVAS also offers a monetary assistance program, a budget assistance program, and professional case management to help seniors learn about resources, stay independent, and plan for future needs.

The success of GVAS programs depends largely on community support. According to Hunt, all of the Back-to-School items were paid for by funds raised by GVAS, special grants, and individual, church, and organizational donors. The number of students helped each year depends on the donations GVAS receives.

GVAS holds several special events each year to help raise funds for its ongoing programs as well as seasonal programs such as “Help Us Help Kids.”

This year’s annual GVAS Gala, “Building Dreams and Securing Futures,” is slated for Nov. 8 at Quail Creek Country Club. Tickets will soon be available — watch for upcoming details in the Green Valley News & Sun. The GVAS Gala Committee would like to invite you to help fellow community members make their dreams come true. To become a Gala Sponsor or donate an auction item, please call GVAS at 625-5966.

The night of the Los Angeles earthquake, I was talking with a real-estate agent. I asked her what she thought would happen to house prices in the Bay area, given the quake. She said, “The number of people moving in to California has been decreasing, and in general, prices are so high that housing is levelling off.”

Her husband, who was watching the quake news on TV said, “Literally!”

rford@gvnews.com | 547-9740