Do your slippers have steel soles?

While driving to work this morning I heard an NPR story about the preparedness craze that continues to build in Japan more than a year after the Tōhoku earthquake.  What, might you ask, do collapsible hard hats, steel-soled slippers and beef curry have in common?  Well, these items and more line the disaster preparedness shelves of Aeon, a large Japanese Wal-Mart-like retailer.  You’re likely to want a sturdy set of slippers when forced to walk through post-earthquake rubble but I’m not so sure about the shelf stable beef curry.  See the NPR report for more information.

In Oregon we worry about Cascadia 9.0, in this scenario a mega earthquake is felt from BC to Northern California and us Oregonians are right in the middle of it all.  At the Red Cross we make preparedness easy and recommend:  Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be informed  for earthquakes and more (think Zombies, Vampires and Velociraptors)

And just so you know, the list does include sturdy footwear and food.

(photo credit Lucy Craft for NPR)