Curtis Green, Software engineer, Lake Stevens

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"Probably a week. We have a 5-gallon jug of water that we keep filled all the time. We also have canned foods, and a gas barbeque that we plan to use if we have real problems. We're missing a good first aid kit but we plan to get that... I think it's important for everyone to wake up and get prepared."

Dolores Kerson, Account representative, Kirkland

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"I think I could survive indefinitely... We have a storage of water and canned goods, and, barring mass hysteria, I think people would be bartering, sharing. I do hope that people would pull together... I've lived through hurricanes before and I know what they're like. It's not so scary if you're prepared."

Victor Kepler, Writer-actor, Bellevue

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"I think probably 10 days without it getting pretty uncomfortable in terms of water and that kind of thing. And it depends on the time of year, of course... We have a fairly full pantry and, as far as water is concerned, we'd use what's in the water tank -- we braced it. And we have some wood set aside. And we have camping gear."

Kathy Reed, Learning center owner, Seattle

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"Probably not very long. I don't have a lot of food in my fridge. Some of my clients talk about emergency preparedness so I think about it, but I haven't done anything. When I was little, we had the Bay of Pigs affair and my parents stocked up and we had a lot of canned goods that just sat in the closet for years and years... I'm the kind of person who lives for today and doesn't worry about tomorrow -- which can be kind of stupid. If something disastrous happened, I'd prepare for the next time. It would probably take a major earthquake to get me to prepare."

Robert Smith, Controller, Seattle

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"About three days. I'm up on what you need. After the last earthquake, there was quite a lot of info in the PI and the Times about having bottled water and canned goods and a battery-operated radio, but I haven't done all of it. You don't believe it's going to really happen."

Rocky Regan, Sales, Bothell

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"Three days, perhaps. I have a little water supply, a little fuel, and just the fridge. I've thought about it. I've meant to stash away the recommended box of supplies and I haven't because I'm a procrastinator."

Copyright © 1996 by the Bellevue, WA-based Journal American newspaper.

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