> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # We must prep now for much larger quakes, Humbert says - URL: https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/2025/09/23/community/we-must-prep-now-for-much-larger-quakes-humbert-guest-essay/ - Published: 2025-09-23T05:49:03.000Z - Updated: 2025-09-23T05:51:13.000Z - Description: Don't delay: Learn how to react to an earthquake, create a disaster kit and secure objects in the home to prevent injury and damage. - Author: Guest Essay - Tags: Community, Earthquakes, Disaster preparedness, Guest Essays, #articles, City Council *Editor's Note: The Scanner will periodically publish guest essays from community members on issues of concern. Today's piece was written by* [*Berkeley District 8 Councilman Mark Humbert*](https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-roster/mark-humbert?ref=berkeleyscanner.com)*. It has been republished with permission.* As you probably were, too, I was jolted awake by [Monday's 4.3 quake](https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/2025/09/22/uc-berkeley-crime/uc-berkeley-earthquake-magnitude-4-6/) along the Berkeley section of the Hayward fault. I’m taking the fact that the quake was centered under the Dwight/Piedmont intersection as a sign Mother Nature agrees that the intersection is dangerous and needs a redesign. All joking aside, this quake is an excellent reminder why it’s essential to be prepared for much larger quakes along any number of the region’s [many earthquake faults](https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/map-known-active-geologic-faults-san-francisco-bay-region?ref=berkeleyscanner.com). Seismologists estimate that there is a [72% chance](https://abag.ca.gov/our-work/resilience/data-research/earthquake?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) of a large earthquake in the Bay Area over the next 30 years, and the Hayward fault is estimated to have the highest chance of one. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/3b/8e3bb516-9b88-46c2-aa85-566ed9c3647c/content/images/2025/09/c6dc5f7c-57a8-963a-a95e-638f213df844.jpg) Thankfully, there are many resources to help you learn to be ready when an earthquake hits. And the city of Berkeley offers [disaster preparedness trainings](https://berkeleyca.gov/safety-health/disaster-preparedness/trainings?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) to help you and your neighbors prepare and respond to earthquakes and other natural disasters. There is a lot to learn, and I highly recommend checking out one or more of the resources below. 💡 ****\- US:** [****Ready.gov**](http://ready.gov/earthquakes?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) ****\- State:** [****Cal Office of Emergency Services**](https://www.caloes.ca.gov/office-of-the-director/operations/planning-preparedness-prevention/seismic-hazards/earthquake-preparedness/?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) ****\- Regional: Alameda County's** [****ready.acgov.org**](https://www.acgov.org/ready/quake.htm?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) ****\- City of Berkeley:** [****Disaster preparedness**](https://berkeleyca.gov/safety-health/disaster-preparedness?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) ****\- UC Berkeley's** [****Seismology Lab**](https://earthquakes.berkeley.edu/outreach/be%5Fprepared.html?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) But if nothing else, I strongly encourage folks to learn how to [react to an earthquake](https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-should-i-do-during-earthquake?ref=berkeleyscanner.com), create a [disaster kit](https://berkeleyca.gov/safety-health/disaster-preparedness/build-disaster-supply-kit?ref=berkeleyscanner.com), and [secure objects in their homes](https://cusec.org/earthquake-safety-preparedness/before-an-earthquake/1-secure-your-space/?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) to prevent injury and damage. In the United States, most earthquake injuries occur as a result of falling objects, not structural damage. Always remember to [drop, cover and hold on](https://www.shakeout.org/dropcoverholdon/?ref=berkeleyscanner.com)! The safest places during a quake are under a sturdy table or desk; and, if you're in bed, [stay there and cover your head with a pillow](https://www.earthquakecountry.org/dropcoverholdon/?ref=berkeleyscanner.com). The idea that a doorway is the safest place to stand is a [myth](https://news.caloes.ca.gov/earthquake-myths-separating-fact-from-fiction/?ref=berkeleyscanner.com). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/3b/8e3bb516-9b88-46c2-aa85-566ed9c3647c/content/images/2025/09/3e1a1879-f9c4-a804-ca30-ecbb783cf505.jpg) The city of Berkeley also offers a [transfer tax rebate](https://berkeleyca.gov/construction-development/seismic-safety/funding-seismic-retrofits/transfer-tax-rebates-seismic-work?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) to perform voluntary seismic safety upgrades when a residential building is sold, or just therafter. The city is also currently holding a [lottery for seismic upgrade grants](https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/2025/09/08/community/berkeley-earthquake-grants-ebb-apply-now/); if you apply by Oct. 1, you could win $3,000 to upgrade your home and the prize is increased to $10,000 for those with lower incomes. Making sure your home remains safe and livable after a quake can be the difference between your family being able to remain in your home or needing to seek shelter elsewhere. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8e/3b/8e3bb516-9b88-46c2-aa85-566ed9c3647c/content/images/2025/09/2f1275a8-67fc-a594-40df-62d5190af5e4.png) The Bay Area remains a deeply moving place to live, so [please let me know](https://berkeleyca.gov/your-government/city-council/council-roster/mark-humbert?ref=berkeleyscanner.com) if you have any feedback or questions about how you can prepare in the wake of this quake. **The Scanner will periodically publish guest essays from community members on issues of interest or concern. Submit your** [**guest essay ideas**](https://www.berkeleyscanner.com/tips/) **to TBS.** ## Sign up for The Berkeley Scanner Authoritative crime + safety news Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.