46 Things You Need In The West If Sandy-Style Ish Ever Hits The Fan

Every night we tuned in to Brian Williams this week, our hearts ached for those affected by the venomous impact of Sandy (who could even bite back sobs?). Our hearts go out to everyone dealing with the disastrous aftermath, and we obviously have a very close attachment to our NYC colleagues in Cooper Square — some of whom couldn't even be reached until last Thursday. Listening to the trials and tribulations of our fellow writers, editors, and even founders really got us shamefully thinking how unprepared we are, and it prompted us to get our ducks in a row, should another earthquake of Northridge proportions (God forbid) ever hit here.

So, we went straight to the source, and asked our team some of the items they regret not having, and even those they were pleased they already had on-hand. While the resounding pang was for extra cell battery packs or solar chargers for smartphones due to the lack of electricity, leave it to R29'ers to come up with some items we'd never even think of (and the ability to bring some lightheartedness in a dark time). For instance, our global editor, Connie Wang, was "going loopy at all the different, competing aromas" of her scented candles, so she recommends a stash of bland burners. Production editor Lisa Dionisio was thankful for her dry shampoo since she couldn't wash her hair, and deputy editor Neha Gandhi joked she wished she'd had more Starwood points to get herself into a cheaper hotel!

Since obviously a tectonic disaster brings a whole other set of possible dire straits, we took all of their tips and combined them with some Angeleno-specific essentials in this ultimate guide for earthquake-preparedness. By no means minimizing the seriousness of the subject, we've also added suggestions for a few quirky items to lock in your catastrophe box, just to keep you sane and in high spirits, too! You'll want to add cash, prescriptions, TP, trash bags, photocopies of important docs like your Social Security card, birth certificate, and results from your last physical — but don't hesitate to let us know what else you'd throw in down in the comments below!