A big thing is to understand human nature. When something catastrophic happens, most people’s brains try to rationalize that everything is normal (it’s called normalcy bias). I’ve done this myself. I once felt an earthquake (6.5 on the Richter scale, epicenter was about 150 miles away so there was no damage in my locale). My brain tried to grasp on anything but an earthquake or something else bad. I was in an empty classroom but turned around thinking somebody was kicking my chair. Then I thought it must be a truck outside because I was in the corner of the building even though I heard no engine. In the Santa Barbara mass-shooting, people thought it was another active-shooter drill and went about their business.
The most important thing in a disaster is to move. GET OFF THE X. Movement saves lives, those who don’t are the ones who are going to be killed. Secondly, arm yourself. A metal pen is a good stabbing weapon or find a blunt object with some weight. A tactical pen is a very good thing to carry.
That’s something good to know...don’t freeze up and become inert. I can see the mind doing that. I can see my mind doing that.
**** “I once felt an earthquake” ****
Way off topic ... I was in San Diego, married just 2 weeks, walking out the door when the Earthquake hit ... I was back inside in a second, undressed and my mind worked very quickly back then ... “Hey Honey, everybody is going to be late this morning!”
Did I mention that just married 2 weeks part?
Can’t make that up...
After living in the Aleutians, Guam, and even back to the Seattle earthquake of 64, believe me when I say, that after many tremors, quakes, shimmies etc... it becomes familiar enough to quickly assess.