Dear Editor,
Tears easily flow in the eyes when watching young mothers with
tiny babies complain of no water or food for days in New
Orleans.
Dear Editor,
Tears easily flow in the eyes when watching young mothers with tiny babies complain of no water or food for days in New Orleans. It is incredible that America can just stand by as thousands starve, yet spend billions for a “noble cause” in foreign countries. At the same time, we have forgotten that we in Gilroy are in a serious potential disaster situation with respect to earthquakes. We, too, have been warned in advance of needing to survive for days with no help if a large quake comes.
We are nestled between two huge faults, the San Andreas, which created the Santa Cruz mountain range to the west, and the extension of the Hayward Fault line, which created the strip of foothills to the east. A short 10-minute drive down Leavesley Road and First Street in Gilroy, can put a car’s back wheels in the east foothills and then the front wheels in Santa Cruz range. Between? Gilroy.
We had a damaging earthquake in 1989 that most people have forgotten. It was preceded by some shake-ups near Anderson dam in Morgan Hill, and culminated in an earthquake near the coast, a one-hour drive from Gilroy. Homes here were seriously damaged. The quake reached down 12 miles, bounced up in San Francisco and caused deaths in sandy soils.
Tension is building along both fault lines, and we have forgotten and become complacent. The Hayward Fault is more than 10 years overdue, historically speaking, for a major 7.0-plus event. The estimated death toll is in the 5,000 range. The warning for us is that we could remain helpless with no water, no food and no medical care for up to 15 days. Are we ready? No more than New Orleans. Wake up Gilroyans, before we repeat history here in our small town!
Tony Weiler, Gilroy
