SFist: Where Will You Be During the "Katrina-Style Disaster" Predicted for the Bay Area?

Mike Crabe

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:18:28 -0800

Really? I think it is working for me. Mike from kansas city vacation guide

mmathers

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:37:21 -0800

Q: How many of you actually have earthquake kits and a means to defend your family? Consider preparing both. After all, the government is basically saying that its everyone's ass for themselves for the first 72 hours after a major disaster... and that's an optimistic number. http://www.72hours.org/ Why a "means to defend your family"? Even if you do stock up on supplies and food, what makes you think your neighbor has done the same? If there are folks around who can't be bothered to buy their own food and instead have to turn to food banks for their meals, what makes you think they have anything stocked up? PS. You don't actually need cases of 20oz bottled evian; They do make gallon jugs you can buy under $1/ea. You need 1 gallon/person per day for drinking and 3 for drinking/basic cooking/hygene.

RinconHillSF

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:21:33 -0800

Doh! Typo on URL ... Sorry .... http://www.sfgov.org/sffdnert

KatyG

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:57:15 -0800

CERT/NERT training is so useful, I really recommend folks do it if and when they can. Empowering is an awfully overused word, but it really fits.

bornandraised

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:18:35 -0800

*w00t* i loved my nert training. those firemen rocked!

Plug1

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:14:05 -0800

alert. alert. >> Firefox can't find the server at www.sfgov.ord.

RinconHillSF

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:39:30 -0800

What? 27 comments and no mention of NERT? Get off yer arses and go get trained from the SFFD for free to help mitigate the batshit crazy aftermath ... http://www.sfgov.ord/sffdnert When you see a car coming, do you just stand there in the middle of the road?

hubcap

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 20:47:14 -0800

where will i be? biking to mexico of course!

cablecarsam

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:35:19 -0800

Is this supposed to brighten our day? The odds of being shot or run over in SF are greater folks!

bjburch

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 17:28:02 -0800

Before I moved here, I was told that earthquake insurance was bunk because "it doesn't cover anything." But when I bought my RENTERS policy, it seemed to make sense to add it on based on the coverage it provided. (Or, rather, based on the coverage my renters policy *doesn't* provide.) It's additional coverage for less than $20 a month and it makes me feel better knowing I have it. I rent the bottom floor unit of a 3 story house so if there's an earthquake, it's probably coming down on all my stuff. Hopefully, I won't be *in* it at the time. (i.e. asleep)

KWillets

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:56:08 -0800

Brock, you may be smug now, but your prose is in serious danger of collapse.

fizzandpop

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:52:21 -0800

I bet you $50 it doesn't, ha, ha, ha.

Brock Keeling

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:42:04 -0800

i have a pete rose rookie card i cherish. it's sure to go up in flames, though.

fizzandpop

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:31:20 -0800

But how much of that crap do you actually need to replace? My entire apartment is currently in storage, I haven't noticed that I've missed any of it. Soon I'm just going to stop paying the rent and they'll auction off all my stuff or trash it. Possessions are rubbish.

bluecanary

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:22:37 -0800

I'm not saying a court won't rule in your favor, I'm just saying you'll probably have to go to court to get the insurance company to cover you.

Ciaran

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:21:38 -0800

The reason nobody has earthquake insurance is because it's expensive and doesn't cover very much. We looked at it pretty carefully, and adding quake coverage for our building would double our premium and then the deductible is huge. And it seemed we would be more likely to be damaged by fire then shaking, and we're already covered for fire. I remember reading something a while back saying that it was common for people to have quake insurance in CA 30-odd years ago and it was affordable. Then insurance companies decided they didn't want to be in that risk game so they started to pull out and we ended up with the current state pool and maybe less than 20% of homeowners having coverage. Much like trying to buy hurricane insurance if you live in New Orleans or trying to get health insurance if you've had cancer - the market doesn't want to touch you. Would love to know more about this if anyone really knows stuff...

bornandraised

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:21:10 -0800

actually, you can look at some of the fire insurance plans for yourself, but the few that i have gone over with others will hold in litigation that if the earthquake caused a "gas leak" or your neighbors house caught fire, then you are protected because it is those things and not the earthquake that lit the match, for the same reason that if the gas leak occurred today without an earthquake you would be protected. again, i may only be looking at a select few insurers, but two policies did hold in LA during their 90's earthquake (i am not at home so cannot give you the names).

bluecanary

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:21:10 -0800

Um, quite a bit, actually. Go through your entire apartment, look at everything you own, and think what it would cost to replace it all in the event of an earthquake-related fire. Believe me, it will add up.

fizzandpop

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:16:45 -0800

Think about it. What they hell have you got that's actually worth insuring?

bluecanary

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:12:18 -0800

Renter's insurance won't protect you unless you also have specific earthquake coverage. Last I checked, it's an extra couple hundred bucks a year, and my insurance agent told me not to bother (although I'm certainly rethinking that). And even if you have fire insurance, your insurance company will undoubtedly claim that it wasn't the fire that caused your damage, it was the earthquake (for which you are uninsured), that started the fire, and therefore, the fire was earthquake related and then they'll deny your claim.

Joel

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:09:20 -0800

It'll be Katrina-style only in that there'll probably be a lot of images of people suffering getting out before help gets here and/or there'll be massive governmental incompetence. The death tolls and damage in a massive quake would dwarf Katrina. Not a pissing contest, since these are obviously horrible things.

bornandraised

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:07:39 -0800

if loma prieta and 1906 taught us anything its that earthquake insurance means nothing if you have no fire insurance to back it up.

KWillets

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:07:37 -0800

I'll be downstairs retightening our foundation bolts. FYI: Cost to put a house back on its foundation after an earthquake: $50,000. Deductible on earthquake "insurance": $50,000.

OrangeDrink

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 16:01:54 -0800

What is this 'renter's insurance' I hear so much about?

kmsinsf

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:59:52 -0800

all the more reason to own a firearm!

Brock Keeling

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:54:41 -0800

we all should start a ten community out there! i call Secretary of Tent Town.

fizzandpop

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:53:21 -0800

After checking all their family is OK, the smart person will declare bankruptcy, move to Atlanta and start over. That's why america rocks the world.

bluecanary

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:52:12 -0800

I look at an earthquake as a good way to finally clear out my cabinets of all that damned canned food I can't figure out a use for. Please remind me again why I bought a can of kidney beans.

Joel

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:49:20 -0800

My wife and I keep pretty much no bottled water around, so we'll be subsisting on wine and cold cans of black beans until the National Guard bails our ill-prepared asses out, days or weeks later.

bluecanary

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:48:57 -0800

"Our models suggest less than $10 billion will flow into the Bay Area from insurance," And most of that will only come after you sue their sorry asses. Forget bottled water, I'm stocking my disaster kit with the name/phone number of a good plaintiff's lawyer.

manys

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:47:46 -0800

I hope you're not talking about the park bench in front of Hippie Hill because I already called it.

Joel

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:44:32 -0800

I've already picked the spot for my tent in Golden Gate Park.

periqueblend

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:39:55 -0800

what is the relevant housing statute that would govern what happens when an earthquake forces you to move from your place? is it like a fire - where you are allowed to return at the same rental price? what if the landlord drags his feet (since he has insurance to cover him)? I submit that the only people absorbing risk are the insurance companies, which is why you pay them. renters are simply at-risk.

what

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:26:06 -0800

By suggesting that landlords absorb risk and hence might actually provide a useful service, you have offended me. Apologize!