The often quiet rumblings of the earth manifest here in the
cracked ceiling plaster of downtown businesses, tilted houses on
Locust Avenue and a parting winery wall on Cienega Road.
The often quiet rumblings of the earth manifest here in the cracked ceiling plaster of downtown businesses, tilted houses on Locust Avenue and a parting winery wall on Cienega Road.
In San Benito County – which straddles two of the Bay Area’s seven major faults, the Calaveras and the infamous San Andreas – earthquakes are expected. Some are tiny. Some are noticeable. And most are taken in stride.
But Tuesday night’s magnitude-5.6 earthquake, the strongest temblor Bay Area residents have felt since the magnitude-6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake, was a reminder that the shifting faults can lash out.
“Earthquakes are always a wake-up call,” said Laura Kershner, a public support director with the Monterey-San Benito Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross. “And they should be.”
The recent quake was centered on the Calaveras Fault in the foothills northeast of San Jose, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It was powerful enough to break liquor bottles on store shelves in Hollister and registered a noticeable tick on a seismographic machine at Mt. Rainer, Wash.
And while damage Tuesday night could be described as light, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services issued an earthquake warning Wednesday morning to 10 Bay Area counties, including San Benito. The worry is over the proximity of the Hayward Fault to the Calaveras Fault, which scientists now know intersect.
The OES advisory stated Tuesday’s earthquake has “significantly increased the probability of a damaging earthquake along the Calaveras and/or Hayward faults over the next few days.”
Seismologists widely agree Hayward is the most dangerous Bay Area fault because it hasn’t registered a severe quake since 1868 and historically has one every 151 years.
John Parrish, a geologist with the California Geological Survey, said that while the probability of another large earthquake has increased scientifically, in reality, it is unlikely.
“Some of the stress might have been sent over to the Hayward,” Parrish said of Tuesday’s quake.
Parrish said within two to five hours after the main temblor, the chances of a larger earthquake begin to decay.
Still, government officials in San Benito County are taking the advisory seriously.
Brian Tempero, who heads county’s Office of Emergency Services, said residents should make sure their homes are earthquake safe. Secure cabinets and other furniture, and have extra food and water on hand, Tempero said.
“We are the most seismically active county in the world,” Tempero said.
San Benito County Undersheriff Pat Turturici said every deputy has been placed on-call.
The county’s emergency center will also have a running start in case of a quake, Tempero said.
As for the government response to a large earthquake in San Benito County, 150 local officials recently held a training session for emergency preparedness and simulated such an event.
After the training, Tempero said he would like to have smaller, more frequent sessions.
The training session marked the debut for use of the Amateur Radio Disaster Services here in San Benito.
Hollister Police Chief Jeff Miller has previously used amateur radio services in providing security for events. He’s a fan of it and said the radios will provide an important communications backup.
The Hollister Municipal Airport would be another asset in an earthquake if roads are closed, Miller said. If roads remain open, Hollister benefits from its proximity to Highway 101, Miller said.
But the relative isolation of San Benito County is also cause for concern.
Mutual aid between cities would be stressed, Hollister Fire Interim Chief Fred Cheshire said.
“If we really get hit hard, we are going to run out of resources relatively quickly,” said Cheshire, who had been with the department a little more than a month when the Loma Prieta hit.
Shortfalls at both the city’s police and fire departments may have citizens relying more on one another.
Cheshire said national standards call for one firefighter per 1,000 residents, which means Hollister should have 37 full-time firefighters. It has 23 because of budget cuts, and the Hollister Police Department faces similar shortages.
“I think the staffing is a major issue,” Miller said, adding later, “When things happen, it comes down to everybody pitching in.”
Miller said Hollister should be prepared to spend up to 72 hours without help.
To alleviate reliance on aid, Kershner said residents should prepare their own earthquake kit.
Place at least one gallon of bottled water per person every day in a 32-gallon trash can – along with extra clothing, food, shoes, batteries, a flashlight and pet food, if applicable.
“When the time comes you should not rely on the government to take care of you,” Kershner said. “That’s one of the lessons learned from Katrina.”
Kershner added that learning about what the American Red Cross does before a disaster is much easier than during or after one. The organization accepts donations and will train volunteers. For more information, call its Hollister Service Center, 357 Fifth Street, at 831-636-2100.
Dispatch reporter Christopher Quirk and the Associated Press contributed to this article.
