San Francisco couple's "earthquake parties" combine dinner with disaster prep
SAN FRANCISCO – Earthquake drills were being conducted Thursday, with more than 17.5 million people expected to participate in a nationwide event called the Great ShakeOut.
But in the serene Twin Peaks neighborhood of San Francisco, Emily Peters was commemorating the event with a groundbreaking dinner party.
"Everyone is going to be arriving in hopefully 10 or 15 minutes," she said as she set a table for 25.
But this wasn't a typical shindig. This time, the power was off, and the stove remained cold.
"We're making stone soup tonight with these Instant Pots that are connected to a battery," she said.
For the past 17 years, Peters and her husband, Rob, have been throwing what they call "earthquake parties", to help friends and neighbors whose disaster preparedness might be shaky at best.
"It's not if but when the next big earthquake comes, right?" she said. "Our family really likes to be prepared for that and we have our water and our flashlights and our emergency food but not all our friends and neighbors are as ready as we are."
Traditionally held in April, close to the anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire that once devastated San Francisco, the event has grown in popularity, with more dates added to their calendar.
The gathering isn't just about enjoying a good meal. It's an immersive experience that includes lessons on how to react when disaster strikes.
Attendees are guided on using a hydraulic jack should anyone find themselves trapped under rubble, and learn vital guidelines for navigating an earthquake without the help of a smartphone.
"We have become so dependent," she said. "Do you know somebody's phone number? Do you know how to walk to your friend's house? Do you know how long it would take you? Do you know how long it would take to get to the Golden Gate Bridge from here? All these things we rely on our phones for all the time now, if the electrical grid goes down or there's a big disaster you have to be ready to go on your own and so this is a great way to practice that."
Joel Jentes, longtime partygoer and this year's cohost, said the idea is to get a sense of what to expect before it happens.
"It's not just that I know this stuff," Jentes said. "My kids they know the drill. They know what's important, they know when that comes. They're mentally and emotionally prepared for what to do so it's less scary to them too."
For Peters, it's a reminder that sometimes all you need are a few important tips and some hearty soup to create the perfect recipe for dealing with disaster.
"It's really fun to be with our friends and our neighbors and our community and hopefully helping to make San Francisco a little bit more prepared for the next big one," she said.
The California Office of Emergency Services recommends the public use the MyShake app to get earthquake alerts. CalOES also has more information on earthquake preparedness on its website.