ABSTRACT
San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 Stage 1 of the Disaster You are the assistant city manager for a large metropolitan port city. You are in bed when suddenly you are thrown onto the floor. Items are falling off shelves, pictures falling off the walls, the floor and bed are trembling, and the sounds are otherworldly. The day is Wednesday and the time is 5:12 a.m. (USGS, 2006). You have just experienced the first shock wave of a massive earthquake. Twenty seconds later you are violently shaken by a second series of tremors, which leads you to believe that the world is coming to an end. You realize that you must get to city hall to take action steps.
