Re-examining earthquake readiness after Japan, New Zealand

One immediate, and sobering, lesson: Japanese are a lot more prepared than Californians. That starts with having hard hats and flat shoes at work desks. In Los Angeles, it can be hard to talk people out of "wearing three-inch heels," said Deputy Mayor Eileen Decker. Another common problem is persuading residents to leave their homes during disasters. From the WSJ:

Local emergency planners are scouring for more information on Japan's situation so they can update their disaster procedures. "We will learn things, and we will make changes," said Jen Tucker, emergency planning officer for San Clemente, a city three miles from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The plant, built to withstand a 7.0-magnitude quake, sits on the Pacific coast within five miles of two fault lines, girdled by a 30-foot-high tsunami wall.