The year 1906 was a determining factor in how future resident of the San Francisco area would live their lives. Will they be able to sleep peacefully at night knowing that anything can happen between the time they slept and the time they will be awake. But the question for most people is the possibility that they may never wake up again.

The same goes for the people in Mexico, Baguio in the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan and other countries that have been victimized by strong earthquakes. Most of these people were caught unaware and this made the disaster more disastrous.

San Franciscans are aware that someday, their city will fall into the depths of the city. But why do they continue to live in a city, which though beautiful, is a catastrophe waiting to happen again?

Most of the people living in earthquake-prone areas prefer to live each day with the thought that they might never wake up again. However, what makes them different from majority of the people living safe lives in safe places is the fact that they are aware that a tragedy like an earthquake may strike them anytime and they are prepared for it.

These people party and live life to the fullest but they made sure they live in earthquake-safe buildings. Most of the high rise establishments were constructed with a strong earthquake in mind

Jason, a technology specialist lives in the Marina area which is the most earthquake-prone area in the city. While he accepts that he is taking a big risk living in that area, he takes no chances and always stores several gallons of water nearby.

He has also prepared earthquake packs and emergency kits containing first aid medicines as well as food packs that can be eaten right out of the packet. He also has extra flashlights, batteries and other thing-a-magics guaranteed to make any normal person flip out.

The most important thing to remember during an earthquake is to duck and keep off everything heavy that may fall on anyone. However, there are other earthquake emergency tips that will benefit any person who would be faced with an emergency earthquake situation at any time in his life.

When faced with an earthquake circumstance, it is always better to seek refuge from tables that can protect a person from heavy objects that are falling from everywhere. When this is however not practical, a person should immediately go out and proceed to an open area without the danger of falling trees, high rises or power cables. Those who are caught driving when an earthquake occurs would be better off if they stay inside their car. When inside a grocery or a mall, make sure that the person is away from heavy shelves and other objects. When inside a theater or a sports stadium and an earthquake occurs, never run for safety and join the hundreds of people doing the same. Duck under the seat and wait until everything clears up.

A lot of people get hurt or even die not because of the earthquake itself but because of panic and failure to prepare for such an emergency. It is always helpful to have an emergency earthquake plan even if earthquakes are not common in the area.

Survival will always depend on how prepared a person is for emergencies. People who have not prepared for the worse case scenario are the ones who have the tendency to panic. And in most cases, those who panic and lose their presence of mind become the first victims of any emergency,