Quakes hit Bay Area before, during emergency preparedness event in Oakland

It was a coincidence that a 2.9 earthquake hit near Berkeley roughly an hour before an emergency preparedness event kicked off in Oakland, but it just shows how important it is to be prepared for the next big emergency.

“My dogs felt it and let me know right away that we’re having a quake,” said Dave Peattie with the Berkeley Disaster Preparedness Neighborhood Network.

The first struck along the Hayward Fault at 8:44 a.m. and the event started at 10. Just two and a half hours into the event, a second, smaller quake was reported along the same fault about three miles down, in Oakland. It was a magnitude 2.7. 

Alameda County’s Emergency Preparedness Day worked to get people of all ages ready for a big one and other natural disasters, “The big one is going to happen any minute and it’s frightening and I want to know how to keep myself safe,” said Amanda Stanitsas of Emeryville.

From insurance help, to making go bags, to the importance of a connected community, 30 agencies met at Chabot Elementary School in Oakland to share tips.”

“Lives are saved most often by your neighbors, by people in your family, but also people who got to know their neighbors well,” said Peattie.

Hundreds crowded the auditorium for workshops and many walked away feeling more comfortable. “Staying calm and knowing what to do is going to be what’s best,” said Moriah McKiernan-Allen of Oakland.