Those of us who played along in the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for the Cascadia Rising Earthquake Exercise earlier this summer were pretty darn calm about it. I doubt if that same level of calm would persist if we’d just had a real 9.0 quake.

I was thinking back to April and the Carco Theatre showing of the movie “Cascadia: The Hidden Fire”. I was part of the audience, and I was mesmerized like everyone else by the descriptions of the Cascadia’s Subduction Zone’s destructive potential.

Yeah, we were way, way too cool in the EOC for what had supposedly just happened. *But I have been thinking again about our preparedness as we get ready for the annual Ready in Renton campaign this September.*

If I use my imagination and think about it, as uncomfortable as it is, I can predict what will happen at my house. There will be broken glass. Lots of broken glass. Thus the sturdy shoes under my bed, to avoid cuts to bare feet.

Our chimney will collapse, sending bricks through part of my bedroom ceiling. The bed is intentionally out of the fall zone of the chimney, although that meant locating the bed under a window, which isn’t ideal.

Furniture, particularly if tall and not fastened to the wall, will topple over, and present a stumbling hazard. (I’m thinking of that antique armoire I couldn’t bear to drill holes into.)

But probably the worst damage to my house will be from the home shifting off its post and pier foundation, because there is no way to bolt it down with that kind of construction. Not the best for earthquake country, but it’s what we’ve got.

Surprisingly, that’s not what keeps me up at night. I figure I’ve done the best I can with the kind of home I live in.

What I worry about is something far more precious than possessions: I think first about my family and pets.

When I take stock of my family’s preparedness, I’m not too worried. We all have kind of a survivalist mentality. At home and in the car we have plenty of non-perishable food, water and other supplies set aside. We can check in with each other via our “out-of-area” contact (since long distance maybe be the only phone service that works). So that gives me peace of mind.

With my pets, however, I’m a neurotic, overprotective helicopter parent.

Ironically, this is the area where I could most improve my preparedness. I know that if we need to evacuate, pets have to be self-contained, with their own housing, food, and water. I’ve provided for those basic things, but that’s about it.

Where I’ve been deficient is in lining up emergency contacts who could come and get our two house rabbits if needed. I guess that’s a form of denial. I’ve always assumed I’d be okay and able to take care of them myself.

Whether it’s earthquake proofing the house, setting aside some basic supplies, creating a family communication plan, or getting pets prepared for emergencies, there’s always some way to improve on personal preparedness. This year I’m refreshing my food supplies (those car supplies are pretty stale) and working on pet preparedness for Ready in Renton/National Preparedness Month in September.

When you see me, ask me it how it’s going. I’ll show you pictures of my bunnies.

For more information on personal preparedness, visit http://www.makeitthrough.org

Deborah Needham is the city of Renton’s Emergency Management Director and can be reached at 425-430-7027.