Houston offers a grim vision of Los Angeles after catastrophic earthquake

Houston offers a grim vision of Los Angeles after catastrophic earthquake

Rong-Gong Lin II for the Los Angeles Times:

For years, scientists have drawn up terrifying scenarios of widespread destruction and chaos that would come to Southern California when a catastrophic earthquake hits.

Their efforts to warn the public may get an unlikely boost from the unprecedented disaster unfolding in Houston, where Tropical Storm Harvey dumped trillions of gallons of rain across Texas and brought America’s fourth-largest city to its knees.

While epic flooding is different from a powerful temblor, both natural disasters fundamentally alter daily life for months or years.

In recent years, officials have drawn up detailed scenarios of what would happen if a huge quake struck this region, part of a larger campaign to better prepare.

While we don't have a formal plan — and we probably should — what to do when disaster strikes is a topic that comes up regularly in the apartment. Sure, sometimes it's the jokey "what's your plan for the zombie apocalyspe,” but in all honesty, the lesson of Houston (and Katrina) is that we should all be a little better prepared. I know I'm not, and that should change.