We live in southern California, which has a propensity for earthquakes. Over the past few months I have noticed on radio and TV an increase in the number of earthquake preparedness messages from FEMA. We usually get inundated with these messages after an earthquake (typical of the government to close the gate after the horses get out) however, rarely, meaning once or twice a quarter, do we get them in advance of an earthquake.

A pleasant sounding woman stating Please standby for a very important message from FEMA precedes the messages, which is new as well. Either we are going to have the mother of all earthquakes or FEMA needs to spend its surplus marketing revenues prior to October 1, 1999. Or, it could be their way of not panicking Joe Six-pack about Y2K because everybody knows earthquakes are a bump in the road. Just ask the people in Turkey.

Has anybody else noticed this? How about those of you in Tornado Ally or the hurricane belt?

Just curious,

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Y2KOK.ORG), September 14, 1999

Answers

I've just noticed up in Silly Valley that talking about Y2K preps is unacceptable vernacular. However... "adding to the earthquake emergency supplies" ...is acceptable for over-the-java conversations.

Go figure.

I will say, more of my little 'ole mother's Senior Center friends are beginning to ask her for "checklists." Could be an indicator.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 14, 1999.

ON PHROPHECY.COM--MAJOR EARTHQUAKE PREDICTED IN 2000. FLAME IF YOU WANT TOO, BUT DON,T SAY YOU WERN,T WARNED.

-- I DIDN,T SAY IT, BUT (dogs@zianet.com), September 14, 1999.

ON PHROPHECY.COM--MAJOR EARTHQUAKE PREDICTED IN 2000. FLAME IF YOU WANT TOO, BUT DON,T SAY YOU WERN,T WARNED.OH BY THE WAY, ON WEST-COAST.

-- I DIDN,T SAY IT, BUT (dogs@zianet.com), September 14, 1999.

I have this nagging notion that one or more major earthquakes have occurred somewhere in the world in EVERY century. Earthquakes are common events. Some are worse than others. For starters, see

Professional seismologists state repeatedly that while they can be relatively certain that an earthquake will occur in a particular region, but they can't predict its timing even within 100 years.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), September 14, 1999.

(I hate it when I do that.)

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), September 14, 1999.

Uncle Bob,

Here in the Midwest, we've started hearing the FEMA "Winter Storm Warning" announcements -- the first I heard, EVER. We get a fair amount of winter weather here, and this is the first I've ever heard of FEMA 'caring' so much about us.

BTW, the first time I heard this public service announcement, it was 86 degrees with high humidity.

Nothing like being prepared, eh??

: )

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), September 14, 1999.

They DO want people to be prepared--just not everyone, cause there's not enough stuff now.

By the way, my friend says they had an earthquake in Yokohama yesterday--5.1. They heard the earth roar and the house shook for a while. Scary because you just don't know how bad it's going to be.

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), September 14, 1999.

No unusual radio activity from NOAA down here in tornado alley.

-- Neil G.Lewis (pnglewis1@yahoo.com), September 14, 1999.

Here in North Carolina Emergency Broadcasts are very frequent on both radio and TV (over the past few months). Not normal, just dusting off the old sirens for the three-day-storm (and one year of hell)

-- dw (y2k@outhere.com), September 14, 1999.

Hawaii is in hurricane season, and we are receiving a fair number of public service announcements (PSAs) on hurricane preparedness. I'm trying to prepare well beyond that level...

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), September 14, 1999.

Uncle Bob -

Mentioned this in another thread the other day. I've been hearing the earthquake message on KOMO 1000 radio - Seattle, a couple times a day at least for the last month or so. I have never heard that before, although the TV/Radio stations usually do some news bites to the same tune after we have one of our little shakers, but that is usually just a one time deal till the next one hits. Has had me wondering too.

-- Valkyrie (anon@please.net), September 14, 1999.

I saw an interesting screen on cable tv several months ago. It looked plain, a single color, with a message that resembles your heading: Please standby for a very important message from FEMA. It came on the channel I was watching and stayed on for about thirty seconds and was gone. It had a real weak audio sidetone. With the volume set real loud, I could hear a FEMA audio announcement. There was no explanation given. This happened in Houston several months ago.

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), September 15, 1999.

the AM radio stations i listen to have been testing their emergency- response systems every week. used to be only every month.

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), September 15, 1999.

I did,nt say it,

Would you hot link the site,please.I tried a search for it ,but didn't work.

-- maggie (aaa@aaa.com), September 15, 1999.