Natural Threats in Los Angeles, California

Natural Threats in Los Angeles, California

     The top three natural threats that are the most prevalent in Los Angeles, California are fires, the drought, and earthquakes. Forest fires are very common in the areas around Los Angeles. The drought has caused the forests in the area to become very dry and brittle. Since there is no rain to keep the vegetation hydrated, it is so much easier for the fires to keep burning. These fires have consumed whole forests. The wind also affects these fires. When it is very windy, these fires get so out of control that it has taken fire fighters and volunteers several weeks to put them out. Meanwhile, the fires have consumed several thousands of acres of land in the last decade.

     The drought has been a source of constant worry and stress to the inhabitants of California. The people of California have been doing their part to help conserve water. My family and I have taken steps to conserve the water that we use in a couple of different ways. We only water the lawn for twenty minutes every Thursday instead of everyday like we used to. We try to turn the water off when we brush our teeth or wash the dishes so we can conserve the water. We also try to drink out of water bottles instead of drinking out of the tap. We try to make sure that no running water is left on anywhere when we leave the house. We also had a leaky faucet and so while it was still leaking, we would put a bucket under it to catch the water so we could reuse it and not let it go to waste.

     Probably the biggest threat to my family is from earthquakes. They can come at any time and since we live semi close to the San Andreas fault, earthquakes are quite prevalent. It is a little hard to prepare for an earthquake since you don’t know when they are coming, but there are some things that my family has done to prepare. We have had family drills to prepare us for such disasters as earthquakes. My dad taught us where to go and how to communicate with each other in case of an emergency like an earthquake. We also each have our own basic first aid kit that we leave in our cars and one in our room. Plus, he had me take classes so that I was CPR certified in case of emergencies. My dad also has a safe that he keeps all our most important documents, guns and valuables in case of such emergencies.

     According to www.Ready.gov there are some more things that we can do to prepare ourselves for earthquakes. They say, “Look around places where you spend time.  Identify safe places such as under a sturdy piece of furniture or against an interior wall in your home, office or school so that when the shaking starts, you Drop to the ground, Cover your head and neck with your arms, and if a safer place is nearby, crawl to it and Hold On.” (Earthquakes, 2016) They also warn us too be prepared in case aftershocks. (Earthquakes, 2016) Aftershocks can be almost as dangerous as the initial earthquake itself.

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