Hurricanes, Earthquakes & Essential Oils

by David Stewart, PhD, DNM

Someone recently asked me about essential oils and earthquake preparation. They did not know how appropriate it was to address such a question to me. Before I was a Methodist Pastor, and before I became a full-time teacher and advocate of aromatherapy, I was an earthquake seismologist.

I was a professor and director of Seismological Observatories and Centers for Earthquake Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for seven years and at Southeast Missouri State University at Cape Girardeau for five years. During those times I taught courses in environmental hazards, including floods, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, and earthquakes. During 1988, I was also the Executive Director of a government organization under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) whose mission is to prepare the Midwest for a major earthquake.

I taught courses for FEMA on earthquake preparation for schools, hospitals, public utilities, law enforcement, firemen, and emergency management personnel, as well as seismic building design for engineers. Between 1990 and 1995 I published five books on earthquakes, can be purchased at www.carepublications.net

1. The Earthquake America Forgot (29.95) (2000 Temblors in Five Months and It Will Happen Again). This is a history of the most powerful sequence of earthquakes in American history. Between December1811 and May 1812 more than 2000 earthquakes struck the Mississippi River Valley near New Madrid, Missouri, causing the Mississippi to run backwards, creating a dozen new lakes, and completely obliterating five towns. Hundreds died, including several entire tribes of Native Americans. The largest of these seismic events measured 8.3, 8.6, and 8.8 on the Richter scale. These tremors were felt from Canada to Mexico, from the Rocky Mountains througthout the East Coast of America and as far south as Cuba. They did damage up to 800 miles from their epicenters. That's bigger than any quake that has hit California. This book contains all the fascinating people stories and drama of the tragedies and heroes of that cataclysmic natural disaster. It has been used as a basis for several novels and even one play.

2. The Earthquake that Never Went Away (19.95) (The Shaking Stopped in 1812, but the Impact Goes On) This book contains 150 photographs of the New Madrid Fault zone taken between 1988 and 1994 showing the permanent effects of the earthquakes that had struck almost 200 years prior in 1811-12. Sand boils, land fissures, surface faults, landslides, disrupted river channels, and earthquake lakes--all created by those earthquakes and all visible today. These features are still problems to the present time for highways, bridges, building construction, and agriculture. Some of the permanent quicksand features resulting from those earthquakes that lie under railroad tracks continue to cause train derailments today--almost two centuries after the shaking stopped.

3. The New Madrid Fault Finders Guide (16.95) This is a set of seven self-guided field trips into the New Madrid Fault Zone, that spans portions of Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Upon completion of each of the seven trips, one can visit the New Madrid Historical Museum and receive signatures on a certificate for being a Certified Fault Finder. Upon completion of all seven trips, you become a TOAFF (Totally Awesome Fault Finder) and will have a certificate to prove it. The New Madrid Fault is still active, producing 200-300 small earthquakes a year, most only measured and not felt. If you drive Interstate Highway I-55 from Memphis, Tennessee, to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, you will be driving right over the fault, which is also called Earthquake Alley. Using this book, many earth science classes have toured the zone while families have come for an Earthquake Vacation and sightseeing trip throughout one of America's most geologically unique areas.

4. Damages and Losses from Future New Madrid Earthquakes (9.95) This book was written under contract from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It details the damages and casualties that will result from magnitude 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0 earthquakes when they happen again along the New Madrid Fault. A magnitude 7.0-7.6 earthquake in the Midwest would do damage over a 20-state area measuring in hundreds of billions of dollars and many fatalities. Such a quake has a 25% chance of happening in the next 15 years and a 50% chance in the next 50 years. A strong quake measuring 6.0-6.9 has a 50% chance in the next 15 years and a 90% chance during the next 50 years. This book is for earthquake planning in the Midwest by engineers, businesses, policemen, firemen, schools, municipal and country governments, hospitals, emergency management officials, National Guard units, and the public at large. It is the factual basis for premiums charge by insurance companies offering earthquake coverage. It is also the basis for earthquake zoning legislation and building codes in Midwestern states. While based on technical information, it is easily read, understood, and applied by anyone.

Besides Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, and MIssissippi which are within the zone most threatened by the New Madrid Fault, the states considered most at risk from major earthquakes are California, Washington, Alaska, New York, and South Carolina. Except for British Columbia, Southern Ontario, and Southern Quebec, the rest of Canada is relatively free of significant earthquake risk.

So what does all of the above have to do with hurricanes and oils?

Preparation for earthquakes is similar to preparation for any major natural disaster, be they floods, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, and temblors. Although there are different things one would do to prepare and mitigate the potential effects from each of these types of hazards, when it comes to dealing with environmental disruptions, emotional trauma, injuries, and health issues following such events, it is pretty much all the same.

Major natural disasters disrupt normal infrastructure, which can be for extended periods of time. This includes our supplies of water, electricity, natural gas, and fuels such as gasoline. They also disrupt or destroy sanitation facilities and proper disposal of garbage and sewage, posing biohazards. Meanwhile, they can also temporarily interrupt one's access to hospitals and health care facilities while destroying our homes and dwellings, leaving us exposed to the elements and no place to live. Hazardous and toxic fluids and fumes can also be released during such events. Besides threats from nature, today we have additional threats in the form of terrorism, which can strike anywhere, any time.

As for oils, with these thoughts in mind, I keep the following on hand and ready to use. It is a good idea to keep them in a little Emergency Oils Kit set aside for such purposes:

. Purification (item # 3399) for disinfecting cuts and bites
. Lemon (item # 3578) for purifying water
. Lavender (item # 3575) for burns and abrasions
. Frankincense (item # 3548) for healing wounds
. Helichrysm (item # 3563) to stop bleeding
. Peppermint (item # 3614) for headaches and fatigue
. Panaway (item # 3390) for bruises and achy muscles
. Wintergreen (item # 3658) for sprains and cracked bones
. Lemongrass (item # 3581) for sprains and twisted joints
. RC (item # 3405) for the lungs in case toxic fumes were inhaled
. Sandalwood (item # 3634) to help get a good night's sleep
. Peace and Calming (item # 3393) for panic
. Valor (item # 3429) for overcoming fear with courage
. Trauma Life (item # 6350) for post-traumatic stress syndrome
. Along with Gratitude (item # 3346) and Joy (item # 3372) for surviving the disaster and still being alive and intact.

There are many other oils you could add to this list, go to The Very Essence to see the hundreds of therapeutic-grade essential oils I have available and contact me, Evelyn, if you have questions or need help making good choices.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The information in this post is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, or substitute for professional medical assistance. It is provided as information only for your better understanding of holistic health. In case of medical need, please consult an appropriate licensed professional.