Seeing the news about the latest earthquake to hit Japan with many collapsed buildings and people queuing for food and water got me thinking. Just how prepared are most people for an earthquake?
Don’t get me wrong I’m not victim blaming here and I’m aware it could happen to anyone at anytime.
However, it seems that many houses that collapsed – trapping or even killing those inside – were old and most likely not up to the latest building codes. And I understand that retrofitting a house with earthquake resistance is expensive. But isn’t doing that better than those losing your entire house and your family members?
And with regards to food and water, don’t most people not have at least 3 days of food and water stored at home? I mean I understand that Japanese houses are small but I’ve managed to store at least 3 days of water around my house and the equivalent amount of food, even if it is just rice.
So I guess my question is are many Japanese people not prepared for major earthquakes despite Japan being one of the most seismically active countries in the world with a recent history of large and destructive earthquakes?