Disaster

Imagine it’s in the middle of a hot, dry afternoon in the fall and the Santa Ana winds are in full effect. Firefighters are on their toes because it’s fire season when suddenly a massive earthquake rumbles thousands of feet below the city along the Newport-Inglewood fault line. Power lines fall, sparking fires in Bonita Canyon, and buildings are severely damaged or crumble. People everywhere are injured. Would you be prepared? That worst-case scenario is just what public safety officials want Newport Beach residents to be ready to survive, and are offering tips on how to do that Saturday at the Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., near Fashion Island.

Registration is now open for Costa Mesa’s next Teen Community Emergency Response Team, which starts next month. From July 13 to 17 teens who live or go to school in Costa Mesa can learn the skills needed to deal with the next major natural or man-made disaster. They will learn the basics of fire suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue and team organization. The cap runs daily from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and costs $75 to attend and includes course supplies and materials.

The first of three disaster planning workshops this month will be Tuesday, Newport Beach fire officials said. The two-hour workshops focus on the city’s newly completed Hazard Mitigation Plan — the city’s strategy for preparing for unexpected disasters, both natural and man-made. The plan outlines what the city needs to do to protect the city and what they would do should disaster strike. All residents who live or work in Newport Beach are invited to the workshops.

There's no time like the present to make a personal disaster plan. With all the natural disasters that Laguna is subject to -- fires, landslides, earthquakes, floods, even a tsunami -- residents of this area have had more experience than most in dealing with the unthinkable. Last Sunday's minor landslide on Oriole Drive -- and the subsequent evacuation of three homes -- is yet more proof that planning is essential if the city's record of "no lives lost" in wildfires or landslides is to hold up. (There have been deaths in mudslides, however.

Let's spare a thought for all the disaster victims. I'm sure I speak for all Lagunans when I say how saddened I feel when I see the images and hear the stories of victims of Hurricane Katrina. What awful devastation. In addition to the many deaths caused by this storm, so many families are now left with virtually nothing, their houses completely destroyed. While it's heartening to see the country, the federal government and the military marshaling our nation's resources to help these poor souls, for too many of them it will be a very long road back to anything resembling normality.

Deirdre Newman In a state of emergency, seconds are crucial as employees from various city agencies join forces to establish a chain of command and deal effectively and expediently with the crisis at hand. On Thursday, Costa Mesa officials staged an emergency drill as part of their continual efforts to prepare city employees to deal with the chaos that ensues after a crisis. The scenario: a hazardous materials spill caused when a tanker with an unknown liquid collided with a school bus at Harbor Boulevard and the San Diego Freeway.

It is difficult to find a silver lining to a tragedy such as Hurricane Katrina, which left so much destruction in its wake. But as Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama rebuild after the devastating hurricane, which hit land on Aug. 29, there are signs of that silver lining, which stretches from ground zero all the way to Glendale, Burbank and the foothills and back again. It's called compassion. And over the last couple of weeks it has been nothing short of astounding to witness it in action.

Organizers of the famed Newport Beach-to-Ensenada sailing regatta were stunned by the mysterious loss of four crew members aboard a 37-foot boat that disappeared in mid-race, marking the first fatalities in the event's 65-year history. While the U.S. Coast Guard was still investigating the accident, regatta organizers said they believed the boat was hit and demolished by a much larger ship - perhaps a freighter or tanker - passing in the dark early Saturday. The boat disappeared from the online tracking system around 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

Matt Brisbois has slept little since being awakened by a late-night phone call March 10, in which he received the news that Japan had suffered a major earthquake and that the ensuing tsunami could be headed our way. As the Newport Beach Fire Department's community-preparedness coordinator, he was part of a team charged with communicating with other agencies in coastal Orange County and carrying out plans to inform the public of the tsunami risk....

He had been hiding for more than a month. He managed to escape into the desert when he first heard the news. The government death squads were after him. He was safe living in a desert cave, but now food and water were scarce. He could see himself dying soon, even if the assassins didn't find him. So, in desperation, he offered a "Hail Mary" prayer to God. The next night was strange. In the desert, there was a lighting fire storm with the loudest thunder he had ever heard.