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Posted by William Tonkin on March 30, 2012 at 10:29 PM under
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During an Earthquake You Should Head for a Doorway
This is no longer considered to be good advice. Years ago earthquakes in unreinforced masonry structures and homes, the door frames may have been the only thing left standing in the aftermath. It was therefore believed that safety could be found by standing in doorways. In modern homes the doorways are no stronger than any other part of the home, and many times can be more dangerous due to swinging doors attached to them.
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 28, 2012 at 11:09 PM under
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Lots of Small Earthquakes Can Prevent a Large Earthquake
This is a myth. Seismologists have observed that for each magnitude 6.0 earthquake that occurs there are approximately 10 magnitude 5, 100 magnitude 4, and 1000 magnitude 3 earthquakes. While this sounds like a lot of small earthquakes, it doesn't even come close to the numbers that would be required to alleviate the pressure of one magnitude 6.
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 25, 2012 at 11:54 PM under
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Research findings provide some interesting insights on public expectations and beliefs.
* Only 50% of the public is familiar with the alerts and warning systems in their communities.
* Importance of family and community memebers in the first 72 hours following a disaster: 70% of people report an expectation to rely on household memebers, and 49% say they will rely on people in their neighborhood.
* Nearly 30% of those polled indicate that a primary reason they have not taken steps to prepare for disaster, is the expectation that fire, police, or other emergnecy personnel will help them.
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 20, 2012 at 11:09 PM under
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A long lasting, intense earthquake shook southern Mexico today. Centered in Guerri state, the 7.6 earthquake had building swaying in Mexico City. Frightened residents and workers quickly evacuated their homes and workplaces to the safety of the streets.
It was reported that some 800 plus homes were damaged and at least 60 buildings collapsed near the epicenter. So far there are no reports of serious injury or fatalities.
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 20, 2012 at 9:36 AM under
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This morning there were two earthquakes off the Oregon coast about 25 miles SW of Newport. The first at 8:43am PDT measured in at 3.1 MI. Then only about 45 minutes later at 9:28am PDT a second earthquake was measured at 3.5 Md. Both earthquakes were reported with no depth, usually indicating that they were surface quakes only.
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 19, 2012 at 9:27 AM under
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Central States Prepare for Flood
Excessive, potentially flooding, rainfall is likely Monday into Wednesday in portions of the central states. This is from the same storm that will trigger severe thunderstorms early this week. Expect widespread 3+ inch rainfall totals in the yellow shadings from central and eastern Texas to western Arkansas, western Louisiana, eastern Oklahoma and Missouri.
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 13, 2012 at 9:02 AM under
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It has been 6 years since the Valley floor in Portland, OR has seen snow in March. 2012 is truely turning out to be an odd year for weather, and unpredictable storms throughout the country. The Portland / Vancover are has now seen 2 days of snow in March and the month is not even half over. Oddly enough many of the weather phenomenon seem to be coinsiding with the massive eruptions we are seing from the sun. Stay tuned for more on this....
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 8, 2012 at 11:10 PM under
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Proper Long Term Water Storage
If you are not purchasing water with a long shelf life, then here is the best way to store water. Look for plastic containers with the recycling triangle symbol containing the number 1 on the bottom of bottles. The best ones to check are soft drink containers. Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as glass bottles, or plastic milk jugs.
Wash out the bottles with soap and warm water. Then fill them with water from your tap, or water filter.
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 8, 2012 at 9:09 AM under
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The current Solar Storm is expected to last throughout the day, and possibly into early tomorrow. It is being projected that the storms intensity will continue to increase throughout the day. If you were unable to see the Aurora last night, you'll have one more opportunity tonight.
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 5, 2012 at 8:37 AM under
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Today marks the closest approach of Mars for 2012. Also today another first for 2012, the long anticipated X-Class Solar Flare. In ancient times these may have been perceived as related events. While the ancients may have not had so many susceptible electronic devices in their daily lives as we do, they would have still seen some effects. Mars the god of war could have been construed as being angry for some reason, causing auroras that could be seen down to mid-latitudes.
The X-Class Flare that was observed at 04:13 UTC this morning was not Earth directed, however, these X-Class flares are so powerful that aurora's will still be visible in higher latitudes.
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Posted by William Tonkin on March 3, 2012 at 11:30 AM under
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Preparedness
Knowing immediate protective actions that you and your family, or co-workers may need to take, an emergency plan can mean the difference between life and death.
* Where will you meet your family members? You should not only have a location to meet outside the home, but also a location outside the neighborhood.
* Identify an out-of-state contact for family members to check in with.
* Plan for all possibilities: extended stay shelter-in-place, or evacuation.