"Non Structural Mitigation" is a fancy term for doing what you can to prevent things like furniture, appliances, wall decor, etc. from falling or tipping over during an earthquake. This blog is an ongoing journal by DEM'ers (and SF72 enthusiasts!) first-hand incremental steps to prevent the big mess that the big one could cause.

Last night’s magnitude 6.9 earthquake off of the coast of Eureka, California was reminder that we live in earthquake country. Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries or damage and the ocean tremor did not generate a tsunami. [youtube=http://youtu.be/CVNjK-S9dVQ]

Last night’s magnitude 6.9 earthquake off of the coast of Eureka, California was reminder that we live in earthquake country.  Thankfully, there were no reports of injuries or damage and the ocean tremor did not generate a tsunami. [youtube=http://youtu.be/CVNjK-S9dVQ]

1994 Northridge Earthquake San Franciscans stand with our fellow Californians by remembering the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.  We remember the lives that were lost and those that were changed.  The magnitude 6.7 quake caused $25 billion in damage and was the costliest U.S. natural disaster at the time.

We believe in connection, not catastrophe.

Here’s the thing: actual emergencies look more like people coming together than cities falling apart. And people who are more connected fare better in times of crisis.

Occasionally, staff members at the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management (DEM) have an opportunity to travel abroad. They frequently write back with their observations. The following is the first of brief series of blogs journaling the experiences of DEM Deputy Director, Rob Dudgeon, who last week participated in a San Francisco emergency management delegation that visited Haifa, Israel.

How we prepare now, before a disaster, dictates how we react, respond and recover during the real thing. A mock 7.8 earthquake in San Francisco seems like a good test! We'll go into more detail later about what went on when DEM and our partners were put to the test.

We got up very early, we dressed in 1906 style, and we joined our fellow San Franciscans in commemorating one of the most significant natural disasters in California’s history. Please enjoy DEM’s photographs documenting our participation in an annual ritual filled with camaraderie and San Francisco pride. Special note of appreciation, acknowledgment and thanks to Michael Mustacchi for photographing this special event.

April 18^th marks the 107^th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Although very few of us have a first-hand memory of what remains one of California’s most significant catastrophes, every April many of us think about the what ifs with regard to earthquakes.