Late last month, State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) introduced legislation to fund a statewide earthquake early-warning system using technology that already exists. During a press conference at Caltech in Pasadena on January 28th, it was discussed that the prototype called the California Integrated Seismic Network needs more money in order for it to go public, and the estimated cost is $80 million. [Read more…]
Extreme Weather, Natural Disasters Can Hinder Medical Assistance
Scenes from Boston in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
When storms hit a populated area, like Hurricane Sandy did in late 2012, we usually think of devastation like what’s pictured above. We can imagine that it’s hard for emergency vehicles to get through, and that there’s chaos at hospitals across the affected areas.
But did you ever stop to think about how flooding and/or fire can affect the actual tools of the medical industry? Think of how many sterilized products go into just a simple, routine blood test, or even a throat swab. Now think about how you would perform these procedures when you’re entire storage facility has been flooded with rank stormwater, causing all of your hypodermic needles, gauze and other implements to be completely useless. [Read more…]
Sandy Survivors Still Victims…to Mold
Mold on the abandoned house on Staten Island, NY.
Here in California, Hurricane Sandy is but a distant, pre-election, pre-2013 blip on the weather map. But to most of the people on the Eastern Seaboard, the after effects of Hurricane Sandy are still felt on a daily basis.
Take Pat Scala of New Dorp Beach in Staten Island, New York. She’s not so concerned about her own home, but more about the two abandoned houses next door. You’d think the dead animals would bother her—and they do—but what scares her more is the mold growing on the inside and outside of the houses. [Read more…]
Preventing Flooding in Your Home This Winter: 4 Tips from PDR
It was difficult for us in Southern California to understand the devastation left behind on the East Coast by Hurricane Sandy, especially as the Inland Empire’s residents were enjoying record temperatures in October and November. We actually went out to New Jersey to help, and it was no joke—the Eastern Seaboard got hit hard.
But just think back to two Decembers ago, when downtown Laguna Beach was under four feet of water right before the Christmas holiday. Although not as bad as a hurricane by any means, that storm devastated south Orange County, and had people being rescued from their roofs, homes were destroyed and old-growth trees uprooted. Then there were the windstorms last year at this time that were sweeping the Southland, causing millions in damages to homes, businesses and cities. [Read more…]
How to Prepare For a Hurricane
Hurricane Isaac makes landfall.
This is not something that we have to worry about usually here in Southern California, but we are very concerned for our fellow Americans over on the Gulf Coast. This will be the first time the the new levees and flood gates in Louisiana have been tested since Katrina.
The amount of damage that a hurricane causes is dependent on several keys factors besides the wind or hurricane rating. Just like earthquakes, the direction or angle the storm comes into land is very significant to the amount of potential damage or loss, as well as the speed the storms comes in. You may think that if it hits shore quicker it would cause more damage, but in fact if the storm slows down before landfall it has a significantly higher probability of being more destructive. Hurricane Isaac did slow down before hitting the Louisiana coast, and the people of Plaquemines Parish are in trouble. [Read more…]
Earthquake? Here’s What NOT To Do!
If your home looks like this after an earthquake, or you just think it does, call us.
Most of us California residents know exactly what to do in the event of an earthquake, especially if we grew up here. Do you remember the earthquake drills in elementary schools, teaching you to get under your desk and cover the back of your neck with your hands? Second only in popularity to the fire drill of “Stop, Drop and Roll”…
But there are people moving to Southern California every day from across the nation, and across the world. And these people may have never experienced the “fun” of an earthquake before, and there are some things that people might do that can cause injury, large-scale property damage and even death. So we thought it is important to outline the definite “DON’Ts” for our quake newbies—especially since we’ve had two in the last 16 hours! [Read more…]
Is Your Loved One’s Nursing Home Infested with Mold?
It’s a hard decision and tough to find the right nursing home for your loved one.
It’s never a happy time in anyone’s life when they realize it’s time to find a nursing home or assisted-living facility for their parent or loved one. There is so much emotion involved with the decision, and then the guilt that they won’t get the best care when in a facility.
But sometimes, there’s just no other choice, especially when the medical needs of the loved one can exceed the capabilities of the family caregiver. But that doesn’t make the decision any easier, and it still leaves the need to find and choose an appropriate facility.
Recently, inspectors from the California Department of Justice performed surprise inspections in 14 nursing homes across California. The results were grim. [Read more…]
Next Week is Pool Safety Week!
The pool looks innocent enough, but it can be deadly.
Do you have a pool and children? Many Inland Empire residents would love a pool, especially on a day like today when the sun is shining and the kids are out of school. Next week is Pool Safety Week, and we take safety very seriously at PDR Inland Empire.
Here’s why: An annual average of 390 pool or spa-related drownings for children younger than 15 occurred between 2007 and 2009, and 75 percent of child drowning fatalities are children younger than five years old. African American and Hispanic children between the ages of 5 and 14 drown at higher rates than white children. Why? According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), who conducted the survey, found that 70 percent of African American children and 62 percent of Hispanic children cannot swim. [Read more…]
Is Your Hot Water Heater Energy Efficient?
We recommend that you have a professional plumber install your water heater and strap it correctly.
When we see car ads on television, they’re always talking about MPG, or miles per gallon, that you can get from the vehicle. It’s certainly something that’s near and dear to our hearts here in car-obsessed Southern California—with little to no public transport, we are very attached to our cars.
But we’re also concerned about high energy bills, especially now in the summer, when we’re running our air conditioners more than ever! But did you know that 25% of each dollar spent on energy in our home goes to heat water? [Read more…]
Pros and Cons of Tankless Water Heaters
Wondering how a tankless water heater works?
Many properties in other countries already use tankless, or “on-demand”, water heaters in most new-build properties, because let’s face it—in a cold English winter, you want hot water, and you want it NOW.
But here in sunny So Cal, we rarely suffer from cold weather—and before you start complaining about how cold you get in December, tell that to someone from New York or the midwest. But we still like our hot showers, as I’m sure those coming in from a morning surf or jog will tell you, and perhaps that means that a tankless water heater is for you. [Read more…]