Southern California is one of the most beautiful regions in the world. The weather is warm and sunny nearly all year round, the food is amazing, and the people are wonderful. However, at times, it is easy to forget that California, like other areas, has its own set of natural disasters. Longtime residents are aware that earthquakes and wildfires are common in California.

In 2003, my family and I had to evacuate from the Cedar Fire, which burned over 270,000 acres. I remember the flames burning homes a couple blocks away from my house and seeing the sun turn to a ghastly red color. I also recall the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that shook up Easter Sunday on April 4, 2010. Last year, Canyon Fire 2 burned in the hills of Orange, charring 9,000 acres and also causing Chapman University to be shut down for a day. With the recent Holy Jim Fire burning over 22,000 acres earlier this month in Trabuco Canyon, I felt like composing a display of the disasters that Californians must be prepared to encounter. Educating ourselves on these disasters can help us prepare for them.

Quakes and Fires Bibliography