7.1 Earthquake in Ridgecrest, California

[Bogertophis]

First, as a former long-time resident of Southern California & veteran of large earthquakes (including Landers 7.3 in 1992) my thoughts & best wishes extend to all
those directly affected. It's horrible to experience such damage to your home, your belongings, your life, your employment & your psyche, but you'll mostly get thru
all this; it's a time when communities pull together & deal with the essentials to move beyond the chaos. Realistically, those most affected are not likely to be online
reading this, only those farther from the epicenter, but it's a reminder for us all that disasters can happen anywhere, anytime...how many of us are ready with the
supplies on hand needed for our human & animal families? Something to think about...no matter where we live, eh? How many of us could cope with the loss of our
utilities, or the roof over our heads? Earthquakes, if you've never been in one, are really unnerving: often you're awakened from a sound sleep to things crashing
around you & your house making sounds that you've never heard or imagined. But even when it quits, it's never done. The aftershocks just keep coming, and you
never know if what you thought was "the earthquake" was actually just a fore-shock to something much bigger.

To everyone affected...hang in there!