Earthquakes – Los Gatos, CA

According to the Nathan Map, the two biggest natural disaster threats my hometown of Los Gatos, California face are wildfires and earthquakes, the latter being more likely to immediately affect the population. The Nathan Map is easy to read and understand if one reads all keys and understands the rating system therein. The categories laid out, I found, used terms that were too similar in meaning, and as such I referred more to the numerical categorization of the natural disasters than the superficial distinctions of ‘strong’ and ‘rather strong’ (in the case of earthquakes). Overall, the Map was more informative on a global scale, not just for the area of my hometown, which I had difficulty pinpointing within two hundred miles of its actual location.

I chose to examine an earthquake that happened today, Friday April 1st. The quake took place in Japan at approximately eleven o’clock in the morning, local time. It was measured as a 6.0 (Magnitude-Richter) and classified as a 6 on the Mercalli scale. The description of the potential impact notes, “Everyone feels movement. People have trouble walking. Objects fall from shelves. Pictures fall off walls. Furniture moves. Plaster in walls might crack. Trees and bushes shake. Damage is slight in poorly built buildings. No structural damage.” My hometown is at risk of earthquakes, as is most of California, and similar earthquakes are comparatively common. Many buildings in my hometown are built according to a standard designed to minimize structural damage, yet there are some older structures that are at serious risk (e.g. St. Mary’s Church).

I myself, while living in Los Gatos, experienced a similar earthquake, measured at a magnitude of 5.2 (Richter). It was the first earthquake I’d experienced, and I remember feeling movement that I had no control over. The movement was not enough to send me into a panic, but enough that I stopped what I was doing to question what was causing it. The quake (and memory may not accurately serve the fact of it) lasted about fifteen seconds, and then there was nothing else. I recall things falling off of my desk, but beyond a mention on page seven listing minor structural damage to buildings in the South Bay Area, there was nothing of note.

As far as I have discerned, triage during an earthquake in Los Gatos is likely, as the earthquakes experienced in San Franscisco decades before are still throwing aftershocks. The actions to take include families making an ‘emergency plan’ and drilling the plan to remain individually prepared during a quake. The town council could also draft a ‘emergency gathering point,’ where people could go to receive food, water, and shelter should they need it. Or they could order a full evacuation if the earthquake was communicated to be disastrous enough. What I can do is remain prepared myself, and as a young, strong man, I can assist in pulling people from rubble and the ‘grunt-work’ (if you will) of rebuilding should the need arise.

6 thoughts on “Earthquakes – Los Gatos, CA

  1. Hi Cody,

    My name is Chase. You live extremely far from me, being in California. I am from New York. It sounds like your hazards are very different from anything I experience in my hometown. This is very interesting to me. I have never seen or been affected by a wildfire or earthquake, simply because those sort of things don’t occur in my area. I am thankful for this but still curious.

    Japan is known to have pretty serious earthquakes. I am sure that they are use to them by now, even though it is still a serious event to deal with. It sounds like your pretty familiar with this hazard yourself. Great post.

    Here’s a link to my post: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/04/01/chase-sandler-module-8-tornado/

    Best,
    Chase Sandler

  2. Hello! I am Gilberto and I wrote mine about the different systems that affect my island of Puerto Rico. I have always found the West Coast to be a very interesting area for natural hazards. Here is a link to my post: http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/04/01/vulnerability-reduction-gilberto-aponte-prats/

    Back home we face somewhat of a threat from earthquakes but certainly not as much as California is known for. I find interesting how you have only felt a tremor of 5.2, a few years ago I actually experienced a very similar earthquake back home, though everyone panicked because we very rarely get them. I find that we are not nearly as prepared for such events as California is, which is something we should look at in order to be safe. I think we at least have good enough infrastructure to withstand the level of earthquakes we get, tsunamis are really the issue for us.

  3. Cody,
    Your analysis of the Nathan map is excellent. I think you got a lot more out of it than I did and certainly understand it better. Your experience with earthquakes is very interesting. I have only experienced one, small earthquake – New Jersey rarely has them – but I found it very unnerving. I can’t imagine living on top of a fault line.Does this have any impact on the type of building done in the area? I commend you on your willingness to help out in the event of a disaster.
    Mike Evangelista
    Here is the link to my post about Newark, NJ, all the way across the country on the “right coast.” http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/04/01/module-8-natural…-newark-nj-mae26/

  4. Hey! I liked your information in regards to earthquakes in your hometown. There is a bit of a corollary between your post and mine, as I discussed the potential for earthquakes in my hometown (http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/04/01/natural-hazard-potentials-in-my-hometown/). I can’t imagine experiencing an earthquake for nearly 15 seconds, as the only one I’ve ever felt was about 4 seconds. I assume that much of the infrastructure of where you’re from is designed to absorb the initial shock and aftershocks. Interesting, thought-provoking post.

  5. Hey cjr5428 my name is Brian. Here is a link to my blog if you would like to read it, http://sites.psu.edu/geog30/2016/03/30/grand-rapids-mi-2/.
    So, to be honest, I chose to reply to your post because of the name of your hometown. Does it really translate to The Cats? That is pretty awesome! I spent a few years in Southern California in the Anza-Borrego area. We had a few small earthquakes and every year, especially the past few years with the drought, had a high risk of wild fires. We had a few that came within a couple hundred yards of our property. I would rather take an earthquake than face another wild fire.
    Did you really find the Nathan map easy to use? I had a really difficult time with it, I used my hometown in Michigan and could not discern, exactly, where it was!

  6. Hi! My name is Micaelie,
    That is crazy that you experienced an Earth quake, even though it was that small, i can imagine its still kind of scary. I’d be scared especially knowing that Earth quakes can often occur multiple times after the first one. One happened in my town (once), it was very very minor but people said they felt it, i noticed a change in a few structural things in my house after that, for example a lot of doors always shut instead of just staying open, we think the frames slightly bent.
    Check out my post bc i wrote about hurricanes in my town! https://wp.me/p3RCAy-dgW

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