Think about how difficult it would be if all our lifelines -- water, gas and electricity -- were suddenly cut off. In the event of a major earthquake, we would have to do more than just ponder these hardships. And it would go on for longer than you might think. After the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, it took a week to get the power system back up and running and nearly three months to restore gas and water services. Some evacuees, meanwhile, had to stay at emergency facilities for upwards of eight months. While most people don't even want to think about such living conditions, Takehiko Yamamura, the author of numerous books on disaster preparation and relief, insists we must. The Big One will surely strike, he says. "We just do not know when and where. If you are not prepared, you will really be in trouble."

So how do we go about it?

No one knows better how to prepare for a major quake than those who have survived one. Yamamura interviewed many people who experienced the Hanshin temblor and compiled a list of the items they said they wished they'd had when the disaster struck. Those who had been evacuated from their homes identified the following items, in order of importance: flashlight, portable battery-operated radio, emergency food, drinking water, essential medicines, extra clothes and underwear, tissues and pre-moistened napkins, portable stove, fire extinguisher, sturdy shoes, helmet, plastic water tanks and "dry shampoo."