It is really pretty astonishing that a nation with so much high tech and rigid structure, is almost witless in the face of this.
Did no one war game on this scenario taking place?
But it goes to show that you have to be your own FEMA first and foremost so you can be taken care of and possibly be more of a help and less of a victim
Here in the Seattle area they pushed the 3 day prepare thing. I think it is up to 5 or 7 days now. Better, but that is still not enough. So much of the travel in the area is dictated by water, and bridges. Bridges that will be destroyed when the “big one” hits. (Seattle would become a virtual island).
Most main routes of commerce are north-south. The entire NW coast could be affected by a NW Subduction zone EQ. Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, N. California. Worst-case would be in winter with east-west travel over the passes being marginal.
There is a reason why these huge earthquakes, hurricanes, and even severe winter storms are disasters. We CAN’T prepare for them all fully.
(My family could probably last a month or two, assuming the house doesn’t totally collapse, which is a reasonable assumption.)