Nearly two-thirds of Californians say they’re worried about injury or property damage from an earthquake or other disaster. But a new Public Policy Institute of California survey shows they’re increasingly confident in the government’s ability to respond.
The PPIC survey comes 20 years after the 1994 Northridge earthquake and just days before the 25th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta quake that struck the Bay Area. It found that 64 percent of Californians are very or somewhat worried about a disaster affecting their lives. That number’s even higher for people living in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Orange County.
“About half of Californians say they have a disaster supplies kit. However, when you ask them if they have a definite disaster plan, that number goes down to 44 percent,” says the PPIC's Dean Bonner.
A disaster plan might include where a family should meet if cell phone service fails during an emergency.
The survey also found Californians are more confident that the federal and state governments are prepared to respond than the last time the PPIC asked the question eight years ago.
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