Even after huge earthquakes, much of Southern California still unprepared for The Big One

LOS ANGELES - A sizable crowd had already gathered outside the Surplus Store early July 6 when Victor Hernandez arrived at the West Los Angeles shop to unlock the doors.

An orange banner strung between two white columns advertising earthquake and survival supplies in large block letters welcomed the nervous throngs as they filed in. Dozens packed into a single aisle in the spacious shop, grabbing boxes of prepackaged earthquake kits, bags of filtered water and freeze-dried meals with labels that boast of a lengthy shelf life.

"We were really sweating bullets," Hernandez, a 26-year store employee, said. "By the end of the day, we were pretty much cleaned out."

The same scenario played