Why West Coast should be envious of the looming East Coast blizzard

I am envious of you on the East Coast and your big snowstorm. Not that I wish you ill &#8211 I grew up in the East and went through several of them &#8211 it’s just that now the weather forecasting is so accurate that you guys get a good two day’s notice.

Thanks to the advance warning, there’s time to close everything down. And if you can survive the checkout line at Trader Joe’s, you just put on a few sweaters, light some candles and read a book, and you’re back to normal in a week.

Compare that to what we out here on the West Coast are facing: the “big one.” A devastating earthquake that scientists tell us is overdue.

Related: Earthquake shows early detection system ‘has a ways to go’

On the CBS Evening News, right after the report on the coming catastrophic snow storm back east, was a report about the coming catastrophic earth storm in the Northwest.

“Similar to what happened to Japan, FEMA estimates a tsunami could hit some areas within 15 minutes,” CBS reported.

We get this prediction at least twice a year. But unlike snow storms, all they tell us is that it will happen. They never say when. There’s no map showing the earthquake front two days out. And we have to be perpetually prepared because there’s no time to line up for food. How long does it take the tsunami to get here again?

“..within 15 minutes.”

So your snow storm may be miserable, but at least you knew when it was coming. You had time to get to a safe warm place. Your emergency food is fresh.

We get basically no warning. By the time our earthquake comes our emergency food could be 100 years old &#8211 with any luck.