Editorial: Reminder to prepare for worst

When it comes to earthquakes, it pays to be prepared.

The 5.8 earthquake that shook Hawke's Bay and quite a bit of the lower North Island on Monday night certainly had people talking.

Most people had a story to tell about what they were doing at the time, while some simply did not feel it. My household certainly did. It was a strange one and seemed to go on for ages.

Thank goodness it was not bigger and that it did not cause any injury or death. It was actually the third quake on Monday but by far the biggest. It had a depth of 24km and its epicentre was 20km east of Pongaroa, in Tararua District.

For some children, Monday's quake would have been the first they had felt and it may have come as a bit of a shock.

But it was also quite timely because many kids were prepared as schools have held practices for this week's Big Shakeout. Yes, at 9.15am tomorrow it will be National Earthquake Drill, when we will do what everyone should do when an earthquake hits - drop, cover, hold.

It is amazing how many children know those three words and it is important because it may save their lives if a big quake strikes.

It just goes to show that drills and practices are important. Take the fire drills most companies have regularly. It can be quite annoying when you are busy and the fire alarm sounds but it is important that everyone gets up quickly and files out of the building. The thing is, you never know when it will be for real.

The same goes for earthquake drills and tsunami warnings.

While this week's quake did little more than get the heart racing a bit, it certainly did remind us that we have no control over Earth's movement and we should always be prepared for the worst.