Big Enough

It wasn’t the big one that seismologists have been warning about for many years, the Great Quake that somber geological history indicates this area is due if not overdue to experience. But it was plenty big enough. It killed several people, injured many more and caused extensive property damage.

That first rolling jolt and then the aftershocks that just seemed to keep on coming were yet another of nature’s periodic reminders that the good life in California doesn’t come risk-free.

The human and material damage, blessedly, could of course have been worse, yet each death is a common loss. The damage to nervous systems--especially, perhaps, among those who had not been through a good-sized quake before--might linger awhile. That’s understandable. When nature acts up in other ways--a hurricane, say, or a blizzard--people usually have some warning and usually can find some level of protection. They can, in other words, retain some control. But with a quake there is no warning, although the seismologists are working hard to try to change that. An earthquake just happens, with no clue at its beginning as to how long it will last or how severe it will be.

An earthquake may be nature expressing itself most rudely, but at least most people respond with good manners. We were struck again, as after the Sylmar quake in 1971, with the instinctive cooperation that occurs in the aftermath of disruption. Where lights at intersections failed, drivers almost universally seemed to practice courtesy and good sense to keep traffic flowing smoothly. Where buildings had to be evacuated, as in the Los Angeles Civic Center, the exodus was carried out quickly and with no signs of pushiness or panic. We were reminded again on Thursday morning that life lived on the myriad fault lines of California will always be inherently exciting. It’s nice to see that even in moments of mass stress and trouble the amenities may still be observed.