Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Are We Prepared?

Several news stories have caught my eye today. One is the swarm of earth quakes hitting Yellowstone National Park -- which is not to far away from where I live. The story is listed below. To me it is quite alarming. Yes, I panic quite easily. I want to be prepared in case something does happen - any type of disaster. The other story I saw was Russia has a volcano erupting today.

We need to heed the Prophet's warning through time to be prepared. I think it is a great Resolution for the year 2009 - to be prepared.

Do we have our 72 hour kits prepared? Don't go into debt doing it! Today, go around your house and put emergency items in a back pack or suit case that you can grab and go. You can add other items later - just get something together and work on getting a 72 hour kit complete.

How is your stored water and food storage coming along? I've really been working hard on mine for several months. There are a few things I need to purchase to get it back to where I was before all of the holiday cooking I have done - like flour. I'd like to get more water. If you have empty canning jars in your house, that is a great thing to fill with water and store.

I still haven't purchased my plastic to seal off a room in my house. I think about a volcano erupting and using a mask on our face and having a room sealed off for safety. I know I am panicking - but I want to be safe and prepared.

I think I get a little worried when my savings account is low. I used a lot of it on Christmas gifts and now I need to start working on getting my safety net of cash and savings built up again.

Here are the stories - what do you think? Do you panic like me?

Today - December 30 - Russian volcano erupts. The Koryakski volcano to the far east of Russia has started to erupt emitting ash which could threaten local populations.

Scientists eye unusual swarm of Yellowstone quakes

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Yellowstone National Park was jostled by a host of small earthquakes for a third straight day Monday, and scientists watched closely to see whether the more than 250 tremors were a sign of something bigger to come. Swarms of small earthquakes happen frequently in Yellowstone, but it's very unusual for so many earthquakes to happen over several days, said Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah.
"They're certainly not normal," Smith said. "We haven't had earthquakes in this energy or extent in many years."

Smith directs the Yellowstone Seismic Network, which operates seismic stations around the park. He said the quakes have ranged in strength from barely detectable to one of magnitude 3.8 that happened Saturday. A magnitude 4 quake is capable of producing moderate damage.
"This is an active volcanic and tectonic area, and these are the kinds of things we have to pay attention to," Smith said. "We might be seeing something precursory.

"Could it develop into a bigger fault or something related to hydrothermal activity? We don't know. That's what we're there to do, to monitor it for public safety."

The strongest of dozens of tremors Monday was a magnitude 3.3 quake shortly after noon. All the quakes were centered beneath the northwest end of Yellowstone Lake.
A park ranger based at the north end of the lake reported feeling nine quakes over a 24-hour period over the weekend, according to park spokeswoman Stacy Vallie. No damage was reported.

"There doesn't seem to be anything to be alarmed about," Vallie said.
Smith said it's difficult to say what might be causing the tremors. He pointed out that Yellowstone is the caldera of a volcano that last erupted 70,000 years ago.

He said Yellowstone remains very geologically active — and its famous geysers and hot springs are a reminder that a pool of magma still exists five to 10 miles underground.
"That's just the surface manifestation of the enormous amount of heat that's being released through the system," he said.

Yellowstone has had significant earthquakes as well as minor ones in recent decades. In 1959, a magnitude 7.5 quake near Hebgen Lake just west of the park triggered a landslide that killed 28 people.

By MEAD GRUVER, Associated Press Writer Mead Gruver, Associated Press Writer – Mon Dec 29, 9:17 pm ET

3 comments:

Ann Marie said...

I can get really carried away with fear if I am not careful. I am trying to have Faith and stay positive. I think what you said is right.. It would be a good idea t make 2009 a "let's get prepared year! "

Ann Marie said...

oh and.. Love the new snowman background! So cute!

Unknown said...

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